Flashbulb Memories
by PhantomGirl1731
Summary: Full summary inside. To synopsize: This is the story of how two mutants and a sniper followed the little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb to run away from a fight into the jaws of death...and came out on the other side.
1. Chapter 1

**As the dates of my previous stories have shown, I have not posted anything here for quite some time…this story is my first shot at getting back into posting my fics online.**

 **And for those of you following along, I have deleted "Let's Do the Time Warp Again." While the characters used are the same – My OC's Case and Ryder Howlett – their backstories have changed, and their story lines will show the effects of the changes.**

 **I'm going to be honest, this story originally was not meant to see the light of day – more of a piece written to appease the plot bunnies, nothing more. However, the more I've worked on it, the more I want to see how it turned out and what people think of it...so here it is, part one of my little series here, entitled "The Ballad of Case Howlett and Bucky Barnes". While told through a series of flashbacks, the story will start with events in "The First Avenger" and will continue with "The Avengers" and to the end of "Winter Soldier"...**

 **With that being said, I want to add the typical disclaimer of "I don't own anything Marvel related whatsoever, just borrowing them for a bit". I hope you all enjoy what I've written. On with the story...**

* * *

 **The "Full Summary" if you will...  
**

A flashbulb memory is considered a memory that is connected to a significant or emotional event in a person's life. Case Howlett is no exception to the rule, having plenty to choose from after she and her twin brother Ryder practically grew up with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes as their best friends. The following takes a look at how the story unfolded, in a series of flashbacks and snapshot memories we'll see how two mutants and a sniper followed the little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb to run away from a fight into the jaws of death...and came out on the other side.

* * *

Sam Wilson sat in a small diner in Washington DC, patiently waiting for his companion. He found the text rather odd, just a simple request to meet with him at the diner in question at the designated time.

She was running late it seemed, however, ten minutes had passed and still no sign of the youngish woman.

Although after he'd checked both his watch and his phone a third time to make sure he'd gotten the times right, he could hear a loud rumbling outside as someone pulled up on a motorcycle. The person was wearing a dark helmet with their face obscured and entered the diner without even removing the helmet at all.

Sam could tell it was a woman, the short curvy stature gave it away. She was unzipping the motorcycle jacket as she walked toward him and slid into the booth across from him. "You're late," He said simply.

She pulled the helmet off her head and blinked tired blue-green eyes at him. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she looked away from him as she softly said, "I'm sorry…"

Her name was Case Howlett…known among the Avengers as 'The Siren', a longtime friend of Steve Rogers, who was also known as Captain America. Sam had officially met them both recently – the two went jogging together in the mornings, while Steve enjoyed running laps around Sam while yelling out _"On your left!"_

"I'm sorry I…" Case's voice brought him back to the present as she chewed on her bottom lip. "I couldn't leave my apartment this morning."

Sam frowned and sat straighter, "What?"

"It's…it's why I called…" Case pinched at her eyes. "You said you were a therapist, right? You work with soldiers at the VA?"

"Yes," Sam answered.

"Look…I feel like I'm falling apart at the seams," Case said bluntly. "I can't sleep, I can't eat…and after this whole thing with the Winter Soldier frankly I can't stop crying either," She said, and Sam could see tears welling in her eyes again. She took a breath to compose herself, as a waitress came by and asked if she could get her anything. "Just water please," Case asked her.

"When was the last time you could sleep or eat?" Sam asked with concern.

"Eating took a side trip...I grabbed snacks where I could same with the others, but I haven't eaten a regular meal since before this whole thing with Fury happened," Case admitted. "As for sleep…I've had bouts of insomnia since I was five. This is nothing new to me."

"But it's still cause for concern," Sam pointed out. "Why didn't you see anyone when you got out of the ice?"

"I did…at least I tried," Case admitted. "I've been officially diagnosed with insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical depression."

Sam's eyebrows rose, "Case, none of those should go untreated…at all."

Case shrugged, "I know…but unfortunately, I don't remember enough to go into details about my mother's disappearance, and I sure as hell didn't want to divulge details of my relationship with Bucky. And while I _knew_ something had been done to me to prevent me from remembering the full details of the adamantium fusion, those quacks at SHIELD didn't want to hear it, they were insistent I was subconsciously blocking out the memories…so I stopped going."

"Those are key points to talk about though."

"I understand…but they wanted to do it on _their_ terms, not mine," Case said. "And I know it was SHIELD but there was something about them I didn't trust."

"So why come to me?"

Case gave a small smirk, "I like you. You've seen war, what it does to people…" She looked away from him, and quietly said, "You know what it's like to lose someone in battle."

"So, you need a therapist you can trust with similar life experiences."

Case looked up to him and gave a nod. "Look, if you're not comfortable with it, I won't be upset. We don't know each other that well…and this is a big favor I'm asking."

Sam studied her for a moment. He could see dark circles under her eyes, puffiness in her cheeks…desperation seemed to be radiating off her in waves, although Case herself seemed to be calm and collected.

It was her eyes that gave it away. They were full of pain and terror and were still wet from the unshed tears from earlier. He could see the trembling in her hands, slight though it was, an untrained eye may have missed it.

"Alright…I'll do it," Sam said. " _But_ , we are going to have to deal with the tough subjects…your mother, Bucky, the adamantium."

Case visibly paled, and gave a nod, weakly saying, "Alright…"

Sam gave her a reassuring smile, "When do we start?"

Case's calm exterior seemed to fray a little bit, "W-we can start now if you'd like."

"It's not about what I'd like, Case, it's about you," Sam told her. "We can start small…why couldn't you leave your apartment this morning?"

Case chewed on her lower lip, "I was scared…I couldn't face the world. I didn't know if I'd come across any Hydra agents or even…" her breath hitched, and she closed her eyes, scrunching them tight. Tears were leaking out from behind her eyelids, and she turned sideways in the booth, pulling her legs onto the bench. She covered her eyes with her left hand, taking deep breaths to maintain her composure.

"Case talk to me."

"I…give me a minute."

Sam nodded, and watched as Case calmed herself down. He gave her a few moments before changing the subject, "The SHIELD docs…they wanted to talk about your mother?"

"Yeah," Case nodded. "It was after she disappeared the insomnia started…pretty self-explanatory, really. I was afraid my dad or Ryder would disappear next, so I'd stay awake at night to make sure they didn't." She sighed, "Although my dad did step out a lot to speak with my Uncle Victor…he was never too far from us."

"And your father is the Wolverine?"

"Basically…Ryder and I share his advanced healing ability…" She wiggled her fingers, "I've got his bone claws…and thanks to Pierce and Hydra the adamantium too." She sighed, "Ryder's like our mother…he can use tactile hypnosis."

"What's the age difference between you two?"

"We're twins, actually…he's twenty-five minutes older."

Sam gave a hum as he thought what topic to breach next. "So how did you end up fighting with the Howling Commandoes?"

Case rolled her eyes, "Come on, Wilson, I'm sure you didn't sleep through history. And I'm sure you've visited that lovely Smithsonian exhibit on the rest of us."

"Yes, but history can only tell so much," Sam pointed out. "And I don't want the perspective of the historians…this is a therapy session, Howlett. I want your thoughts and feelings…your perspective. _Your_ side of the story."

"My side, huh?" Case asked, mulling that over. "How much do you want to cover?"

"Whatever you want to cover…tough subjects, easy subjects…we're here for you."

Case thought that over for a moment, then started, "We met Steve and Bucky in nineteen twenty-four…I'm not sure what happened, I remember an alley and someone beating the tar out of Steve, or at least trying to…" At Sam's concerned look, she added, "He was using a trash can lid as a shield…" She shook her head, "After the bullies were gone, I remember Bucky and Ryder going back and forth comparing Steve and me…"

"Comparing?"

"Bucky because Steve kept running head first into fights," Case explained. "Me because I kept trying to push boundaries…Dad didn't want us to talk about our mutations to anyone, and quite frankly, I would get antsy…and maybe there was some jumping off of the fire escape here and there…or the jungle gym at the park…minor things but things that could seriously hurt your average child."

"So, they had a common ground of trying to keep people out of trouble," Sam said.

"What their friendship was based on," Case gave a small smile at the memory. "You should've seen 'em after we got the Hundred and Seventh out of Azzano…ripped us both new ones and did it as a team." She took a deep breath as she said, "It was sheer luck that brought me and Steve together before that…they were getting a group of girls together for this Captain America show, and I got picked for the group…"

"Did you know it was Steve?"

"All they told us was he was someone they'd come up with to help with the war effort," Case rolled her eyes. "Something about War Bonds…I don't remember, nor do I care to. What I do remember is all the girls were excited to meet Captain America…"


	2. Chapter 2

**And onto Chapter Two...constructive criticism is appreciated.**

 **I also still don't own anything Marvel...**

* * *

"So…we don't even get to meet this meatball? He's just gonna come out and read his lines?" Case asked as she buckled her shoes.

"That's what they tell us," Viola said, putting the finishing touches on her lipstick.

Viola was a girl Case had met while traveling with the USO – about three inches taller than Case's five-foot-four frame, with blonde curls that were currently pinned back under a red and white striped hat. They both had a brother fighting in the War, and they'd bonded over their shared concerns.

Case gave a huff, "And to think we worked our asses off."

"Cassidy," Viola scolded, "Language!"

Case rolled her eyes, as she pulled on the gloves, "My point still stands though."

"Still…I'm sure we'll meet him after," Viola said, before leaving the dressing room.

Case took a deep breath and gazed at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in the same outfit many of the other dancers wore – a dress with a dark blue halter-style bodice with white stars sewn along the collar with a red and white striped skirt, long white gloves up to the elbows, silver tap shoes and a dark blue hat perched to the side of her brown ringlet curls.

The rest of the girls chattered between each other as they left, but Case couldn't help but keep staring. Mostly in disbelief – she was all for being patriotic, who wasn't these days? But wasn't the outfit a bit much, let alone the white star on her hat?

And "Captain America" – what knucklehead was crazy enough to step into those shoes?

 _Then again…_ Case looked at the white gloves and her curled hair and ruby red lips, and sighed, "And I'm the knucklehead that's helping show him off…whose really got the problem here?"

"Cassidy! They're not gonna hold the show while you talk to yourself!" Viola called from the doorway.

"I'm coming," Case sighed, and headed for the door. She followed Viola out onto the stage, taking her place toward the back of the line. She assumed the pose with the rest of the girls, arms spread out, winning smile in place.

The opening of the song began to play.

From back stage, her sensitive ears picked up a sigh, and a faint, _"I don't know if I can do this."_

 _Huh…Meatball can think,_ Case thought.

Soon after she heard another voice assure him, _"Nothin' to it. You sell a few bonds, bonds buy bullets, bullets kill Nazis. Bing, bang, boom! You're an American Hero."_

 _You've got a lot to learn if you think that makes you a hero,_ Case rolled her eyes.

" _It's just not how I pictured getting there."_

 _Huh,_ Case fought to keep her face neutral. _That voice sounds familiar…_

" _The Senator's got a lot of pull up on the Hill…you play ball with us, you'll be leading your own platoon in now time. Take the shield."_

The struggle to keep the smile in place increased, _Poor dancing Meatball._

With a quiet _"Go!"_ the main music started, and a tall man with broad shoulders came out in a red white and blue uniform. He carried a shield with papers taped to the back.

 _Poor, poor, Meatball,_ Case almost felt sympathetic toward him as she began to belt out, _"Who's strong and brave here to save the American Way?"_

The Meatball lifted his shield and began to read, "'Not all of us can storm a beach, or drive a tank,'" he lowered the shield and looked out at the audience, "'But there's still a way all of us can fight!'"

 _Holy shit! That's_ my _Meatball!_ Case's eyes went wide but she otherwise kept her composure, continuing, _"Who vows to fight like a man for what's right night and day?"_

He lifted the shield again, "'Series E Defense Bonds! Each one you buy is a bullet in your best guy's gun!'"

" _Who will campaign door-to-door for America? Carry the flag shore-to-shore for America? From Hoboken to Spokane! The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan!"_

* * *

" _Your_ meatball?"

"Technical term," Case told him, as they walked through the halls of the hospital. "How was I supposed to know the guy was Steve? I'd never met him…and we left Steve in New York a ninety-pound asthmatic…didn't know he'd turned into a six foot something slab of muscle…hell I didn't even know it was possible before then!"

They'd finished at the diner – after Sam had made Case eat a bowl of oatmeal and an order of pancakes. They were now paying a visit to Steve, who was still on bedrest in the hospital after his encounter with the Winter Soldier.

Sam walked into the room first, seeing Steve glaring at the small music playing device in his hand. "Something wrong, Meatball?"

Steve looked up at him in confusion, "Meatball? I haven't been called that since…"

"World War Two," Case said, shutting the door behind her.

Steve winced, "Yeah, you seemed fond of that term back then."

"Yes, I was…I'm thinking of bringing it back," Case said, taking a seat next to Steve on the bed. She touched his chin, and gently turned his face from side to side, "Serum's kicked in…barely can tell you got your face dented by Hydra tech."

"Thanks Cassidy."

"Anytime," Case gave a cheeky grin, that quickly sobered. She took a breath and moved her hand to pat his cheek, "I'm just glad you're okay."

He grabbed hold of her hand and lowered it, squeezing it gently. He looked like he wanted to say something, but kept his mouth closed. He instead decided to ask, "How are you doing?"

Case cocked her head, "Me?"

"You know…with remembering the fusion…and…Buck—"

"You know me, Steve," Case said, shooting to her feet and taking her hand back. She turned her back to him and walked toward the window. The blinds were now open, and she could see a spectacular view of the parking lot.

"Yeah, I do," Steve said, taking a glance at her back before he looked over to Sam expectantly.

With a frown, Sam looked at Steve who seemed very concerned about his friend, then to Case who was shaking her head vehemently. "Look, I'm not going to get in the middle of…" He motioned between the two, "Whatever this is…but I think it's a good idea for you to keep focusing on healing."

Case's shoulders slumped with relief, and Steve frowned, "But—"

"Plus, I wanna know how the rest of that day goes," Sam said, cutting him off. "How did Meatball here react when he found out you were in his show?"

"That was humiliating," Steve admitted.

"Come now, asking you to focus on healing isn't that bad—"

"No, he means in the story," Case said, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

* * *

Case stormed through the crowd backstage, mostly dancing girls who gave her dirty looks as she shoved them aside. She was muttering under her breath in French, mainly curse words that would make the general populace blush and scold her for…not to mention Steve.

"Cassidy, what's going on?"

"Would you stop calling me that?" Case roared at Viola, turning around to face the woman. "Seriously! I don't go by 'Cassidy' I never go by 'Cassidy'! Rarely if ever do I do that! My own father never even calls me that!"

Viola stood in shock, and the hurt could be seen on her face.

"I'm sorry Viola," Case sighed. "You didn't deserve that…look, just please call me 'Case' alright? Please?"

Viola nodded, "Alright Cass…Case."

"Can you forgive me?"

Viola frowned for a moment, "I don't know…" She then smiled at Case's panicked look, and she pulled the young woman in for a hug, "Of course I can! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

The hug shocked her a bit, but soon Case returned it, "Thanks…now that that's settled…I've got a meatball to yell at."

"Wait, what?" Viola asked, but Case was already on the move.

They'd reached the man in the red white and blue uniform, the blue hood pulled off his head revealing messy blonde hair. Messy hair that Case would know anywhere.

"Steven Grant Rogers! What the hell is the meaning of this?" She yelled out behind him, making the man nearly jump out of his skin.

Steve whirled around, and his eyes widened at the sight, "Case?"

"That would be me."

"But you're…" Steve eyed her up and down, "In a dress…with…curls and make-up…"

"Yes, I know what I look like," Case said sternly. "Care to explain…" She waved her arms at him, "All of this?"

Steve gave a tiny smile, "I joined the army."

"Oh-kay…" Case nodded, "You know I'm not accepting that answer, right?"

"Yeah, but that's classified information," Steve said with a small smirk. "Sorry Case, you don't rank high enough for that."

"We'll see about that," Case said with a smirk of her own.

Steve shook his head, before he closed the distance between the two of them and hugged her tightly, "It's good to see you, Case. I missed you."

Case squeezed him back, "I missed you too…"

"Wait…you two _know_ each other?" Viola asked in shock.

"Since we were kids actually," Case said, taking a step back from Steve. "Steven Rogers, this is my friend Viola Miller…Viola, meet my friend, Steve."

"Charmed I'm sure," Viola said with a smile, holding out her hand.

"Uh…nice to meet you," Steve said nervously, reaching out to shake her hand.

Case gave a snort, "Grows a foot…builds muscle…and yet still can't talk to girls."

Steve scowled, "I'm sorry, and _who_ is still friends with the man they've had a crush on for years?"

"Sm…" Case began, then glanced at Viola. She switched to French, _"_ _Intelligent—_ "

Viola gave her a small smile, not understanding a word of French.

 _"Cul,"_ Case added with a smirk. When Steve just flashed her a cheeky grin, the smirk eased into a friendly smile, "But in all honesty, how are you doing with…" She looked at him, "God…this is weird…"

"How do you think I feel? I keep hitting my head on everything," Steve grimaced.

"You sound like Ryder once he hit his growth spurt."

"I remember that…" Steve agreed. "Both him and Bucky both… _'thud' 'ow' 'I'm okay!'_ "

"Something like that," Case nodded. She gave a sigh and looked in a nearby mirror, "To be honest…when I signed up for this I never thought I'd be a showgirl…let alone dancing in a show for you as…well…"

"Did I miss something?" Viola asked, confused.

"Let's just say Steve's a lot different than how I remember him," Case explained.

"Yeah well, it's not exactly what I pictured when I volunteered for this," Steve frowned at them both, before looking at his own costume in the mirror. "I mean I'm wearing _tights_ …"

Case walked up next to him and scowled into the mirror, "Steve…are you in a skirt that's about an inch away from showing off your—"

"I get it!" Steve cut her off before she could finish.

"Please…do continue about how Captain America is wearing tights," Case said, tugging at the short skirt.

A new thought occurred to Steve, and he started laughing.

"What in the hell is so funny?"

"If Bucky and Ryder could see you now," Steve said through his laughter.

Case glanced at her outfit, "Their reactions would both be the same…"

Sobering at the sound of Case's depressed tone, Steve sighed, "Case—"

"Don't start."

"Ah, I remember now!" Viola said suddenly. "Ryder your brother…and Bucky the one you're hopelessly in love with!"

* * *

"Steven!" Case snapped.

Both Sam and Steve burst out laughing, Steve wheezing out, "Your memory must be slipping Case…because that's _exactly_ what she said."

"No, no, she didn't!" Case said, her cheeks burning.

"Okay, she's right," Steve said, wiping a tear from his eye. He gave a winced and rubbed at the cut across his left cheek, "Ow…"

"See, that's what you get for lying," Case snapped at him.

"But Case…it wasn't _too_ far off the mark."

* * *

"And Bucky with the dreamy blue eyes and gorgeous smile, right?"

Case's face burned, and she was sure her cheeks matched the lipstick she was wearing, "Viola!"

"What? We're all adults here," Viola grinned at her. "Besides, with your sailor's mouth I'm surprised talking about boys makes you blush."

"Not boys…just Bucky," Steve explained. "She's been talking about Bucky's eyes since we were in high school."

"Thanks Steve," Case rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Captain!" Two men in suits came up to Steve. "Great show let's talk the next one…and I have a few ideas about some upcoming appearances."

"Well…alright," Steve said uncertainly. "Oh, Senator Brandt, by the way, this is my friend—"

"Later Captain," The Senator shrugged, and started leading Steve away.

"I'll see you later, Case," Steve called back to her as he was led off.

"Bye…" Case muttered, giving a half-hearted wave.

The Senator's Aide cast a disapproving look at her before following them.

"What's with him?" Viola scowled after him.

"With who?" Case asked.

"That Aide…looked like he wanted to set you on fire," Viola frowned.

"Who knows, maybe he did…" Case shrugged, and headed back toward the dressing room. "It's not like we're important…just dancing girls. Steve's the headliner after all."

"Seemed like a nice guy," Viola added, "Sorry that Senator Brandt has his hooks in him."

"For now," Case told her. "Steve's too stubborn to be satisfied with this for too long."

They were silent for a few minutes.

* * *

"I never did apologize to you for that," Steve said quietly.

Case waved her hand, "You didn't need to…the look on your face as you walked away said it all. And it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"I think we have Peggy to thank for that."

"We have Peggy to thank for a lot of this," Case agreed. She scrubbed a hand over her face, "God that damn song…I still know all the words…probably could still do the routine too."

"You never struck me as a chorus girl," Sam told her.

Case shrugged, "Chorus girl wasn't really my thing per say…I liked to dance, and I liked to sing…before I volunteered with the USO I had a job in a dive bar in Brooklyn as a singer."

"Really…"

"Yep, nice set of pipes with his one," Steve said, giving Case a nudge with his toe through the blanket.

Case grabbed at his foot and squeezed her fingers around it, her cheeks turning pink again, "I'm not _that_ great…"

"She's being modest."

"I'm being honest."

"They wouldn't have picked you for my show if you didn't have talent."

"You didn't see some of the rejects," Case pointed out to him.

"Aside from that," Sam pointed out. "Clearly you were doing something right…so let's keep this going. What happened next? And what happened with Viola?"

Case cocked her eyebrow, "Well Viola traveled around with us…I mean she was in the show after all…"

"And I knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times," Steve smiled at the memory.

"Best part was the looks on their faces when you said that during the rescue," Case told him. "They all looked like you were crazy."

"Not exactly wrong, were they?" Sam asked.

"Nope, not really," Case agreed.

"Thanks guys," Steve frowned.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright…you can put your stuff in the guest room," Case said, unlocking the apartment door. She led Steve and Sam into her living room, placing her keys on the table near the door.

"Case, you didn't have to do this—"

"Yeah and you didn't have to after the adamantium fusion," Case cut him off. "I spent six months on your couch…I think you can handle at least a little bit of time here."

"But still—"

"Steve, this is not a negotiation…you're staying with me until you get your place situated…if you want we can even talk rental arrangements if you're uncomfortable, and once you're at one hundred percent you can take the sofa if you prefer…but for now, go!" she pointed down the hall to the two bedrooms.

With a sigh Steve headed down the hall toward the guest room.

"You spent six months on his couch?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Case said, walking over to the nearby door to her coat closet, sniffing the air before she opened it.

"Looking for something?" Sam asked as Case shoved aside the few jackets she stored in there.

Case stepped out of the closet and glanced at the hall. Steve had closed the guestroom door behind him and hadn't returned just yet. She closed the closet door firmly and said, "Not really…just makin' sure no one was in there."

"Do people usually hide in your closet?"

"Not on the regular no…but…"

"But…?"

"We'll get to that story in due time, don't worry," Case shrugged, as the door at the end of the hall opened.

Steve came back into the room, "Hey, I've been wondering…whatever happened to Viola?"

"Oh…she's still around," Case told him. "She just turned ninety-six last month…you wouldn't think it though, woman's always on the move…her grandkids took her to Paris for her birthday."

"Well that was nice of them," Steve said with a smile.

"What really got me though is she married Hodge of all people," Case said as she headed for the small kitchenette. "I thought Ryder was gonna blow a gasket when he found that out…gonna admit I almost did."

"Why?" Sam asked.

Case frowned at him over the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, "He called Steve 'Tinker Bell'."

Sam cocked an eyebrow and looked at Steve, who rolled his eyes and nodded as he headed for the sofa.

"You guys thirsty? All I got is water right now…"

"Water's fine, Case," Sam said, taking a seat next to Steve, and both took the bottles that Case handed out before she sat in her oversized recliner.

"So where should we go with the story from here?" Case then asked.

"Actually, I wanna go back a bit further," Sam said. "I mean, you guys are best friends and all…but we're coming in in the middle of the story here."

"So?" Case asked.

"So, I want a little bit of background before we continue," Sam explained then looked at Steve. "Do you remember when you met Case and Ryder?"

"I do actually," Steve nodded, cracking open the bottle. "It was in nineteen twenty-four…one of the neighborhood bullies was picking on Case."

"That was how we met?" Case asked. She frowned and scratched at the back of her head, "I thought that was it, but I couldn't remember…seemed like we always knew you two mooks."

"Nah, just feels like always," Steve chuckled. "Anyway…he was calling her names, and holding this patched up stuffed dog above his head—"

"Reggie!" Case remembered with a smile. "I'd completely forgotten about him…he was a gift from my…" Her smile dropped instantly, and she took that moment to take a drink from her water bottle. When she pulled the bottle away from her mouth, she said, "Continue."

* * *

Six-year-old Steve Rogers was heading to the playground when he heard a girl's voice yell out, "Give that back!"

"Make me, shorty!"

Steve rounded the corner and saw a little girl jumping up and down in front of a boy that was twice her size, trying to grab a stuffed dog out of his hand.

Steve recognized the kid instantly – his name was Joseph, he was a few years older, and bullied anyone that crossed his path, Steve included.

"Why do you carry this thing around anyway? Only babies carry around dolls!"

"Reggie is a dog you moron!" the girl snapped.

"Oh, and it has a name!"

"Give her back the dog," Steve finally spoke up, walking toward them.

The boy looked up and gave a wicked smile, "Rogers, long time no see…and without your guard dog too."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Just give her back the dog, Joey, we don't need any trouble here."

"Fine," Joseph smirked, and shoved the dog into the girl's chest, knocking her off her feet.

After hearing a yelp of pain Steve looked over and saw the girl wiping blood away from her scraped knees. With an angry glare, Steve snapped at him, "Say you're sorry!"

"Make me, Rogers," Joseph smirked, before giving him a shove in the chest, knocking poor Steve to the ground as well.

Steve gave a growl and got to his feet, raising his tiny fists.

"Please, you're gonna fight me?"

"Yeah, I am!"

"Don't do that," The girl said, dusting herself off. "See? No harm, no foul…and I got my doggie back," she added, hugging the stuffed creature to her chest.

Steve looked at her once more, and frowned, lowering his fists. He'd been sure he'd seen bleeding scrapes on her knees not five seconds ago…

A fist connected with the side of his face, knocking him to the ground once more.

"You jerk!" The girl snapped. "What was that for?"

"Kid needs to learn his place—" Joseph cut off when Steve's fist connected with his jaw.

Granted, with Steve didn't have much power behind the punch – he was scrawny, even for a six-year-old – but he did have enough strength to make Joseph's jaw clack shut.

Things moved rather quickly after that. The two boys were rolling on the ground, trying to throw punches at each other, which resulted in Steve getting pinned with the wind knocked out of him and punch after punch being thrown.

Joseph got two punches in, before what could only be described as a battle cry was heard, and he was yanked backward. He scrambled to his feet, trying to throw off the little girl, who'd decided to come to Steve's aid and jump on Joseph's back.

"Alright! Break it up!" A familiar voice called.

As Steve caught his breath Bucky came into view above him, holding out a hand. Steve took it and his friend yanked him to his feet. "You had him on the ropes?" Bucky asked with a crooked grin.

"Obviously," Steve nodded.

"Come on killer, let him go," a second boy was saying, and grabbed hold of the little girl.

After the girl let go, Joseph turned to him, "That girl's crazy!"

"Hey, that's my sister you're talkin' about!" the boy scowled at him.

"Whatever man keep that thing on a leash or something," Joseph scowled, rubbing at the back of his neck.

The girl made growling noises and barked twice at him.

"Get lost Joey," Bucky snapped at him. "Leave now and we won't tell no one about how you were beaten by a girl."

"Yeah, Barnes, like anyone's gonna believe that!" Joseph rolled his eyes but took his leave rather quickly.

"I had him!" Steve protested.

"Was that before or after he tried to break your face?" The girl asked. She looked up at her brother, "And put me down!"

The boy rolled his eyes and put her on her feet, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," The girl said, walking over to a nearby cardboard box and grabbing the stuffed dog that had started the whole thing.

"You guys new here?" Bucky asked.

The two looked at each other before turning back to Steve and Bucky. They had identical blue-green eyes and the same brown hair – if they hadn't already said so it would have been obvious the two were siblings.

"Yeah, been here 'bout a month," The boy nodded. He reached out his hand, which was encased in a thin cotton glove, "Name's Ryder…this here's my sister, Case."

"Bucky," The boy reached out and shook, and he motioned to Steve, "I believe you've already met Steve."

Steve just gave a grunt in their direction.

"He'll get over it," Bucky shrugged it off. "What's with the gloves…you do know it's July, right?"

Ryder stared at the black gloves he wore, before he shoved his hands in his pockets, "I uh…I bite my nails. My dad told me to keep the gloves on, so I don't chew on 'em…thinks it'll help break the habit."

"Oh…" Bucky frowned.

"How did you heal so fast?" Steve finally asked.

Case cocked her head at him, "What do you mean?"

"You were bleeding, I saw it," Steve said, pointing to her knees. "Your knees were scraped…then they weren't."

"Come on, Steve, nobody heals that fast," Bucky told him.

"I had some dirt and rocks stuck to me," Case said. "That's probably what you saw…he didn't hurt me, I swear."

Steve looked at Bucky, who also looked like he didn't believe that story anymore than the story of the nail-biting.

* * *

"Of course, we knew the stories were bogus," Steve rolled his eyes. "Ryder told the nail-biting story to his shoes…didn't look up until I asked you about your scraped knees."

Case scrubbed a hand over her face, "Well it's not like we were able to outright say we were mutants, Steve…you'd have thought we were crazy."

"But you let us think _we_ were crazy."

"How did you finally cross that bridge?" Sam asked.

"Case's bone-claws made an appearance," Steve explained. "She lost her temper then out they came."

"It was Ryder's fault…couldn't leave well enough alone…"

Sam cocked an eyebrow and Steve said, "He was teasing her about Bucky…and she didn't like it."

"So, you tried to stab him with your claws?" Sam asked.

"Hey, I have _never_ stabbed Ryder with my claws," Case said firmly.

"I'm sorry, how did you tell us you found out about your bone claws?" Steve asked, taking a drink from his water bottle.

Case scowled at him, "Alright…I've never stabbed him _on purpose._ "

"Err…" Sam frowned at that, "Maybe we should get back to the road show story…"

"Probably for the best," Case told him. "Anyway…where were we? Oh yeah…"

* * *

"How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolph on the jaw?"

"Oh god…" Case face-palmed as she watched Steve talk to the group of soldiers. It was so silent a pin drop could have been heard.

"This is sad, this is so sad," Viola whispered behind her.

It was November of 1943, Steve's road show had been traveling across the US selling War Bonds…and now they were in Italy, performing for the soldiers.

Case and Viola stood backstage, straight across from where Steve stood at the microphone. They had a front row seat to watch him crash and burn…and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

"Okay…" Steve looked nervous, and he looked at the side of the stage as he said, "Uh…I need a volunteer!"

"I already volunteered, how do you think I got here!" Someone yelled out from the crowd.

The crowd started laughing, and another soldier yelled out, "Bring back the girls!"

Now the crowd was cheering.

Steve's gaze went back to the side of the stage again, before going back to the crowd, "I think they only know the one song, but um…lemme…I'll see what I can do."

"You do that sweetheart!" Someone called out.

"What did he say?" Case growled.

"Nice boots Tinker Bell!"

"Oh, let me at him!" Case snarled, as Viola wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Down girl!" Viola struggled to hold her back.

" _No one_ insults Steve like that!"

Steve had a resigned air to him as he said, "Come on guys, we're all on the same team here!"

"Hey Captain! Sign this!"

Steve looked defeated as he gazed at the jeering crowd and raised his shield to defend himself as the tomatoes started flying. He'd finally had enough and stormed off stage, as another guy yelled out, "Bring back the girls!"

Case and Viola walked past a few of the other girls who marched up onto the stage. The taller woman struggled to keep Case in check, dragging her over to where Steve was pulling off the hood of his uniform. "Steve!"

Steve turned to face them, "Viola, what—"

"You sit with Steve and calm yourself down," Viola told Case and she pushed her toward Steve. "I'm going to go back onstage…and try not to chuck one of those tomatoes back at those idiots."

As Viola disappeared up the wooden steps, Steve said, "I like her."

"She's a good friend," Case admitted. "Wish I could say the same for that crowd out there."

"Hey, come on, things will get better," Steve gave her a nudge as he smiled at her.

That was when a loud clap of thunder could be heard, and rain began to fall. As the crowd began to disperse, Case looked up at Steve, "Well, things are lookin' better already."

"Yeah, yeah," Steve groaned.

As the rain continued to fall, everyone disappeared to their respective tents, except for Steve and Case. They'd grabbed their raincoats and sat outside by the stage, Case reading a book while Steve began a new drawing.

They spent their time in a comfortable silence, as Steve worked on a sketch of a dancing monkey with a shield and Case reached the last page of her chapter, when a feminine voice said, "Hello Steve."

Both looked up at the speaker, and Steve gave a surprised, "Hi…"

"Hi," She smiled at him as she folded her coat over her arm. She spoke with a British accent, she was tall with a curvy figure, and brown hair that sat curled at her shoulders. She wore a brown military uniform with a skirt that ended below her knees, and the jacket she'd folded was the same shade as the uniform itself.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.

"Officially, I'm not here at all," she told him.

Case gave a quiet cough, and Steve said, "Oh sorry…Peggy Carter, this is my friend, Case Howlett…"

"Nice to meet you," Case gave her a friendly smile.

"Likewise," Peggy gave her a small smile as well. "That was quite a performance."

"Yeah uh…" Steve looked away from Peggy, "I had to improvise a bit…the crowds I'm used to are usually more…twelve."

Peggy's brows rose for a moment, and she looked at Case who gave a sheepish shrug and a nod. Peggy schooled her features, then said, "And I understand you're America's New Hope."

"Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit," Steve recited.

"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" Peggy asked, completely unimpressed with Steve's statistic.

 _I like this girl,_ Case thought.

Steve still didn't look at Peggy, "Least he's got me doin' this…Phillips would've had me stuck in a lab."

Case's brows rose, and she looked at Peggy for confirmation, but the woman's attention was completely on Steve. "And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey?"

Steve didn't respond, just glanced down at his sketch.

"You were meant for more than this you know," Peggy added. Steve looked back at her then away, and she asked, "What?"

"You know…for the longest time I dreamed about…coming overseas, being on the front lines, serving my country." He kept his back to them both as he said, "I finally got everything I wanted…and I'm wearing _tights._ "

A car horn interrupted anything else Steve would've said.

A military ambulance pulled up, and the medics opened the doors and pulled out a man on a stretcher.

Case closed her book and hugged it against her chest, watching as they carried the stretcher into a nearby tent.

"They look like they've been through hell," Steve observed.

"These men more than most," Peggy agreed. She was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the One-Oh-Seventh."

 _The One-Oh-Seventh…_ Case felt the world turn on its axis for a moment as Peggy continued, "The rest were killed or captured."

"The One-Oh-Seventh?" Steve repeated.

"The One-Oh-Seventh," Case confirmed in a weak voice.

Steve was instantly on his feet, frowning when Case remained seated. "Come on, Cassidy!" Steve hauled her to her feet, dragging her along into the rain as he yelled at Peggy to follow.

Case got her feet under her and followed Steve as he ran to a nearby tent.

"Colonel Phillips," Steve said, marching right up to the man in question.

"Well if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, what is your plan today?" Colonel Phillips asked sarcastically.

If Case wasn't about ready to throw up on his desk she would've laughed at the comment.

"I need the casualty list from Azzano."

"You don't get to give me orders, son," Phillips said flatly.

"I just need one name, Sergeant James Barnes from the Hundred and Seventh," Steve said.

Phillips turned to Peggy, "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."

"Please tell me if he's alive sir," Steve asked, "B-A-R—"

"I can spell," Phillips cut Steve off.

"I need a name too," Case cut in, "Ryder Howlett…H-O-W—"

"I said—"

"L-E-T-T," Case spoke over him.

Phillips glared at her, then his face changed to one of sympathy. He grabbed a stack of papers and got to his feet, turning away from them as he said, "I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But…" He turned to face them as he said, "Those names do sound familiar, I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Still don't own anything Marvel related...**

* * *

" _I'm sorry."_

The words echoed in Case's mind, and she could feel her bone claws shifting in the backs of her hands. She raised her hands to her chest, pressing her fingertips over the claws before they ejected themselves and led to an uncomfortable conversation.

Steve was quiet for a moment before he asked, "What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?"

"Yeah, it's called 'winning the war'," Phillips said.

"But if you know where they are, why not at least send—?"

"They're thirty miles behind the lines," Phillips cut him off, walking toward a map posted on an easel, "Through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save." He turned back toward Steve, "But I don't expect you to understand that because you're a chorus girl."

Case narrowed her eyes and suppressed a growl, tucking her hands tightly against her arms trying to keep the claws sheathed.

Steve seemed just as frustrated, and he said, "I think I understand just fine."

"Well then understand it somewhere else," Phillips said, brushing past Steve. "If I read the posters correctly you _both_ got some place to be in thirty minutes."

Steve stared at the map, and straightened his back as he said, "Yes sir. We do."

Case cast a glare at Phillips's back as she marched out after Steve, and she could hear him bark out, _"If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself."_

* * *

"Pants," Viola said, like she was checking off a list. Her face was buried in Case's bag, throwing out everything she could.

She was taking the time while Steve prepped for the mission to change as quickly as possible out of the blasted dress – Steve could throw a pair of pants over his uniform and it would work just fine. A dress and some tap shoes…not so much.

"Pants," Case repeated, shoving her legs into them. She yanked the dress off over her head as best as she could.

"Sweater—"

"Not that one," Case cut her off.

Viola frowned at the black sweater, "Why not? It's a bit big, sure, but if you put this shirt on underneath—"

"No, anything else but that one!"

"Case we don't…oh," Steve took that moment to look up at her, then promptly turned red before going back to his packing.

Case frowned down at her torso, then rolled her eyes, "It's called a _brassiere,_ Steven!" She reached over for the shirts, "Give me those!" As she pulled the t-shirt on first then the sweater over her head, Steve was now frowning at her. "What now?" She asked, smoothing the black material that she practically swam in.

"Isn't that Bucky's sweater?"

Viola gave a snort before handing Case a pair of shoes.

"Don't start with me Viola," Case snapped as she sat down to pull on the shoes.

"What do you plan to do? _Walk_ to Austria?" Peggy demanded as she barged into the tent.

"If that's what it takes," Steve answered swiftly as he resumed his gathering mission.

"You heard the Colonel. Your friends are most likely dead."

"My brother's _not_ dead," Case snapped at her. She yanked on her helmet from the stage show and walked toward Peggy as she said, "I would know it if he's dead, and he's not dead because it would take more than Nazis to kill a Howlett. And if he's not dead that means Bucky's not dead either, because he would _die_ before letting something happen to Bucky if he could help it, do you understand me?"

"Not in the slightest," Viola answered instead.

Both Case and Peggy turned to face her, confusion showing on their faces, before Peggy addressed Steve, "Even so, Phillips is devising a strategy. If he detects that—"

"By the time he's done that it could be too late!" Steve snapped, closing and shouldering his knapsack as he headed for the tent opening. "Case…come on!"

"Right behind you," She nodded.

"Steve!" Peggy called out.

She followed them out to the jeep that Steve was currently throwing his bag into along with his shield. Case took a seat in the jeep as Steve turned toward Peggy, "You told me you thought I was meant for more than this…did you mean that?"

Peggy paused for a moment, before replying, "Every word."

"Then you gotta let me go," Steve said, sliding into the driver's seat.

Peggy raced up beside him as Steve cranked the engine, "I can do more than that."

* * *

"You stole the guy's sweater?" Sam asked.

"I did not!" Case snapped as someone knocked at the door.

A few hours had passed by now, and the view from Case's floor-to-ceiling living room window was turning orange with the sunset.

As Case got up to answer their visitor, Steve leaned closer to Sam, "Three months of _'Steve are you sure you haven't seen it?' 'Where the hell is it, it couldn't have gotten up and walked away'_ I think he finally settled on the idea that he'd left it somewhere."

"Yeah, at our place," Case rolled her eyes as she shut the door, carrying five pizza boxes. She set them down on the coffee table, "I just…never returned it to him."

"So, you stole it," Sam said as Case headed into the kitchen for plates.

"No, I didn't steal it…it was fair game! Finders keepers!" she called to him, reaching up into a cabinet.

"Incidentally…why would you have kept it, anyway?" Steve asked. "And why did you have it with you?"

Case's cheeks turned red as she handed them plates, and she said, "Did I say there would be a question and answer period? Now can we get back to the story?"

* * *

Case had just finished her _third_ rosary as Peggy went over the mission plan. Sure, Howard Stark's plane wasn't _too_ bad, but of all the odd things she'd inherited from her father – aside from the mutations, sometimes she could still hear her mother's voice saying, _"Thick brown hair…just like your father's. My eyes and your father's hair…what a combination…"_ – here was one thing she wished she could return.

The plane gave a jerk and it was all Case could do not to scream. _Pull yourself together, Howlett…_ She thought as she took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Flying…she hated flying. It was a miracle she'd survived the trip overseas, really…when they were told they would be taking a plane to Europe it was all Case could do not to throw up all over her shoes…or Viola's…or Steve's boots, as he'd been standing nearby.

Although _this_ time she was armed with a few pistols and ammunition…and a parachute.

"The Hydra Camp is in Kreuzberg," Peggy was saying. She had a map spread over her legs and was motioning with her fingers as she explained, "Tucked between these two mountain ranges. It's a factory of some kind—"

"We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep!" Howard called from the pilot's seat.

"Just get me as close as you can—" Steve began, but as Case cleared her throat with a glare at him, he corrected, "Just get _us_ as close as you can!" He turned back to Peggy and said in a quieter voice, "You know you two are gonna be in a lot of trouble when you land."

Peggy cocked an eyebrow at him, "And you won't?"

"Where I'm going, if anybody yells sat me, I can just shoot 'em."

"They will undoubtedly shoot back."

Steve gave his shield a tap, "Well, let's hope it's good for something."

"That's good for you, but what about—"

"Agent Carter, if we're not in too much of a hurry, I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue," Howard added.

 _Saved by the billionaire,_ Case gave a small sigh as Peggy and Steve exchanged uncomfortable looks.

After a few moments of awkward silence Peggy said, "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this airspace. We're lucky to have him."

Steve presumably gave a nod – with the movements of the plane it was hard to tell. He hesitated before asking, "So are you two…? Do you…" He motioned toward Howard, then awkwardly added, "Fondue?"

Case turned away from the sight, pressing her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing. _Oh god…poor Steve…_

Peggy didn't miss a beat as she said, "This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you."

"Are you sure this thing works?" Steve called out.

"It's been tested more than you, pal," Howard responded.

Suddenly gunfire could be heard, and the plane began to shake.

"That's our cue, Case," Steve said, shooting to his feet with his shield in hand.

As Case made to follow, Peggy bellowed, "Get back here! We're taking you all the way in!"

Steve got into position at the door to jump, and shouted over the roar, "As soon as we're clear you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!"

"You can't give me orders!" Peggy shouted.

"The hell I can't! I'm a Captain!" Steve gave her a cheeky smile as he lowered his goggles and jumped out of the plane.

Case's goggles were on her face and she quickly shoved past Peggy who was still staring out after Steve and jumped into the air after him.

One view from a parachute with an awkwardly clumsy – if Case did say so herself – landing later, she marched up to Steve and gave him a salute, and whispered, "Where to next, Captain?"

"Follow me…" Steve whispered in return, and the two headed out. "I also want it on record you being here is a bad idea."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Case hissed.

"I was kinda banking on you not wanting to jump out of the plane." The response Steve received in French made him cringe, "I'm sorry Case…no need to get testy…just stick close to me, alright? Bucky and Ryder will have my head if you get hurt."

Case gave a huff, "Sorry pal, my money is still on _my_ abilities in that department."

"That's never been tested on this scale before."

"And yours haven't been tested… _period_ ," Case told him. "Hey…" she latched onto his arm and tugged him to a stop. "Be careful…alright?"

"Hey, it's me," Steve frowned at her.

"Yeah, I know."

Steve sighed, "I'll be careful, I promise." He lifted his shield, "And I'll be using this…that's gotta count for something, right?"

Case gave a nod, "Right."

"Now come on…we've got a mission to complete."


	5. Chapter 5

**Still don't own 'em...and this one isn't a flashback per say...but I was trying to add some foreshadowing into the mix...**

* * *

 _Brown hair down to his shoulders…metal arm on the left side…_

 _Not a nightmare…_

" _Do you not understand what's at stake here?"_

" _My autonomy…my freedom…my memories apparently."_

 _Not a nightmare…_

" _The Asset is being reprogrammed."_

" _I will_ never _forgive you for this."_

" _Don't worry, sweetheart…you won't remember any of this anyway…"_

"NOT A NIGHTMARE!" Case cried out as she shot up in bed.

Her heart was racing, she was drenched in sweat. She scrubbed at her face, wiping away both sweat and tears as she fought to catch her breath. She looked at the clock on her bedside table, the blue digital numbers reading 3:23 AM.

It had been over a year…and seeing the Winter Soldier brought everything back – the memories, the nightmares…the _faces…_

Case gave a yelp when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Case…?" Steve's voice was hesitant.

Case took a shaky breath, "Come in Steve…"

The door opened, and Steve came in, and sat at the foot of the bed. "Are you alright?"

Case sighed, "Steve…"

"The question was just a formality," Steve cut her off. "I know you aren't."

The firm set of his face made Case look at her hands in her lap, "I'll deal with it."

"Deal with what?" Steve asked. "The adamantium, or—?"

"Stop!" Case cut him off, "There's not much to deal with in regard to the adamantium."

"Yeah, but the other issues—"

"Pierce was probably afraid I'd remember how he was involved," Case shrugged it off. "If I didn't have to see him on a regular basis, I couldn't remember what they erased, right?"

Steve sighed, "God it's like we were defrosted all over again."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping, "I had a hard time talking about him too…but I never pretended he didn't exist."

Case narrowed her eyes, "I don't pretend he didn't exist."

"Really?" Steve asked with raised brows. "You barely acknowledge he was part of our lives at all. Apart from going to the Smithsonian exhibit and this reliving the past idea with Sam…Case, you don't even say his name."

"What do you want from me, Steve?"

"An explanation would be nice."

Case sighed, and scrubbed at her own face, "Steve…what was the last thing you said to him?" At Steve's tormented look, she amended, "Before the mission…I don't mean before he…" she waved a hand and swallowed roughly, unable to finish the sentence.

The pain receded slightly from Steve's eyes, and he gave a weak chuckle as he said, "It was about the time he made me ride the Cyclone at Coney Island…he asked if it was payback."

Case gave a small snort, "Sounds like Bucky."

"Why do you ask?"

Case rubbed the blanket between her fingers, and stared at it as she said, "My last words to him were 'Sorry to have bothered you, Sergeant'."

"Doesn't sound so bad."

"True," Case admitted. "And in that context…really nothing."

Steve frowned at her, and repeated, "In that context?"

Case felt her cheeks grow warm, remembering what had triggered the original conversation. "To simplify things…it was part of a continuing fight that never got resolved. Starting with a comment that I made…which was, and I quote, 'If I thought you could have handled that kind of commitment I'd have told you how I felt a long time ago.'"

Steve's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair.

"Yeah…chew on that one for a few years, see where you're at," Case sighed. "Probably the only man I ever _loved_ …and I treated him like shit."

"Case—"

"Steve, in what universe is there anything you can say to make that okay?" Case cut him off. "Seriously? I mean my last conversation was him telling me he had nothing else to say to me…and I deserved it. I wanted something from Bucky that he was trying to give the best that he could considering the circumstances…and I couldn't see that until _after_ he fell, and it was too late."

"But Bucky is still alive…hell you said he knew you—"

"Yeah, he did," Case told him. "Steve, it wasn't some big reunion moment…his exact words to me were _'I know you…I don't remember how…but I do.'_ By the time he actually remembered _me_ they…" His screams suddenly started echoing in her ears, and Case flinched, fighting to resist the urge to grab her ears.

"Case…are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Case's chest felt tight and she gripped the blanket tightly in her fists, as she said, "W-when they caught on that he was remembering _more_ they put him in that…that blasted chair and…"

" _What's going on down there?"_

" _I told you, his memories are being erased."_

"Case!"

At Steve's startled shout, Case looked at her hands. The blades had extended, gleaming in the moonlight. As she retracted them she said, "He didn't remember anything after that, Steve."

"Case…"

"Don't," Case cut him off. She glared at the blanket, keeping the fabric in a white-knuckled grip. "There is _nothing_ you can say to make _any_ of it okay. What they did to him…what _she_ allowed them to do…" When Steve opened his mouth, she barked at him, " _No!_ "

With that she got to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked.

"Let's face it, I'm not gettin' any more sleep tonight," Case told him, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. "I'm going to browse Netflix or Hulu…you can join me if you'd like."

A half hour later the two found themselves seated on Case's sofa in the living room, engrossed in an episode of _Worst Cooks in America_ , cringing at some of the things they'd just seen.

"I had some bad moments in cooking…but never that horrible," Case cringed.

"Agreed…"

They were silent for a few more moments, before Case asked, "What are you going to do if you find Bucky?"

Steve didn't respond right away. "Figure out a way to get him to remember."

"Then what?"

"I don't know."

Case gave a sigh, "He walked away, Steve. He's gone…even if he remembers everything, that doesn't mean he'll want to come back."

"Look, if we find him and he doesn't want to come back, we won't force him," Steve told her. "But I'm still going to find him…with or without your help. But I'd really appreciate it if I had it."

Case gave a small smile, "You've always had my help…from that first mission to Azzano to now." She looked over at him, "After all…it's what got us here, isn't it?"

Steve's shoulders slumped, and he said, "Yeah, it is…"

"Steve…we've gone over this," Case told him. "It was our choice to follow you…both Ryder and I made that decision individually…there was no going back after that, and you know it." When he turned back to her and opened his mouth, she raised a finger to silence him and said, "We're not discussing it again."

"But Case—"

"I said no. You can't blame yourself for everything…there was _no way_ you could've known that was how it would've ended. None of us did at the time…and now I'm talking about it!" Case scowled. "Look, conversation is over for now. Watch the terrible cooks burn stuff!"

They were silent for a few more moments.

"We still running with Sam later?"

"Of course."

"You going to tell him about your time with Hydra?"

"In time, yes."

"You gonna tell the rest of us the full story?"

Case thought that one over for a moment. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

Case gave a nod, "Yeah…that's the best I can promise at this time."

"Fair enough," Steve admitted. "Can I ask why though?"

"You can…" Case told him. "Just don't expect an answer anytime soon."


	6. Chapter 6

**So here's the continuing adventures of our heroes in "The First Avenger", told once again through flashbacks to the story. And maybe just a little more foreshadowing as well...standard disclaimer applies: Don't own Marvel…won't ever own Marvel…**

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Case whispered.

She and Steve had snuck into the Hydra base, Steve's shield excellent in knocking the masked guard's unconscious.

Right now, they were standing before a table of glowing blue objects. They were emitting a small hum, and Steve picked up what looked like an ammunition clip full of the glowing items. He shoved it in his pocket and continued his way.

 _Braver than I am,_ Case couldn't help but think as she followed him deeper into the factory.

* * *

"Glowing and humming, and your first idea is to put it in your pocket?" Sam asked in disbelief.

They were in their usual meeting place in front of the Washington Monument, walking as a cool down after their morning run, with Case and Steve continuing the story from where they left off the night before.

"Thank you, Sam!" Case said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Hey, what else was I supposed to do with it?" Steve asked. He turned to Case, "I didn't see _you_ offering anything else other than—" He dropped his voice to a whisper, "— _'What the hell is that?'_ "

"Yeah, yeah, fair enough," Case rolled her eyes. "Anyway…onto the Prison Block…"

* * *

They made their way onto a platform, where yet another masked guard with a glowing backpack attached to a glowing rifle paced back and forth above holes with bars going across them.

Steve's first punch took him out with ease, and as the masked individual landed on the bars, it caught the attention of the prisoners in the cells below.

They all seemed to stare in confusion at Steve as he worked to get the keys from the unconscious guard.

"Who are you supposed to be?" A dark-skinned soldier asked.

"I'm…" Steve paused as he caught his breath, "Captain America."

The soldiers seemed confused, as one spoke up with a British accent, "I…beg your pardon?"

"You heard him," Case said, taking off after Steve.

When they made it down to the cells, Steve handed Case a few keys and they both worked on getting the doors open.

They reached the cell with the soldiers that had spoken, it was when the door opened a familiar voice demanded, "What in God's name happened to you?"

Ryder Howlett stood still as the other men left the cell. His hair was dirty as he shoved a cap on his head, his face filthy with thin trails of grime that weren't as dark as the rest of his cheeks. His blue-green eyes practically glowed like the Hydra weapons and he kept his hands tucked away as he stood in shock at the sight of Steve.

 _Was he crying?_ Case wondered as she stared at her brother's face. There were lines in the grime that could only be tear marks…but Ryder crying? What in the world had happened?

"I'm from Fresno, Ace!" one of the soldiers said behind her, cutting Case from her thoughts.

"Is there anybody else?" Steve asked suddenly. "I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes."

Ryder finally reached her, and he mumbled, "I'm sorry, Case, I tried to protect him…but I couldn't…"

"What are you talking about?" Case asked.

"There's an isolation ward in the factory," The British man said as they began moving. "But no one's ever come back from it."

Case's eyes widened, and she immediately turned to Ryder, who gave a nod with a grim look on his face.

"All right," Steve said from the front.

 _Focus on Steve,_ Case reminded herself as tears started to burn in her eyes. _Don't fall apart now…fall apart later._

"The tree line is northwest, eighty yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell," Steve continued, stepping forward away from the group before turning back to face them. "I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."

"Wait!" The dark-skinned soldier asked. "You know what you're doing?"

"Yeah," Steve said calmly. "I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times." And with that he raced off toward the laboratories.

The men looked to Case, who gave a sheepish smile, "It's a long story…but he's technically…not wrong…sorry, gotta go!" And with that she raced off after Steve.

Before she was out of earshot she could hear Ryder say with an equally embarrassed tone, "That's my friend and my sister…"

A few minutes later alarms started blaring throughout the factory.

"Fuck!" Case couldn't help but yell as she shoved her fingers underneath the helmet, trying to muffle some of the sound. She ducked instinctively, flinching at the volume of the echoing alarms.

"Case? Why didn't you go with the others?" Steve demanded as he turned to face her.

"Someone's gotta watch your back," Case gave a groan she caught up to him. She stood straighter and slowly took her fingers away from her ears, wincing, "Ow…"

"You should get outside…away from the noise."

"It'll take care of itself," Case said wincing.

* * *

"Wait, I'm confused," Sam cut in. "How were the alarms affecting you but not Steve?"

"Enhanced senses…better sense of smell, I can see in the dark…my hearing is off the charts," Case explained. "So, while the alarms were loud for Steve…it was almost unbearable for me."

"Huh…so you can heal, have animal senses, and bone claws," Sam listed. "Interesting…"

"Sometimes," Case admitted. "Thought I was going crazy when the whole Winter Soldier thing began though."

"I thought you trusted your senses above anything else," Steve pointed out.

"Yeah, but I also told you I wasn't sleeping," Case reminded him. "You guys have particular scents, sure…but smells can also trigger memories. And hindsight is twenty-twenty…"

Sam frowned between the two of them, "Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?"

"We'll get there Sam, don't worry," Case snapped, casting a glare at Steve. "And I apologized to you…are you really going to hold it against me?"

"I just wish you had been honest with me."

"About what? That I was losing it?" Case demanded of him. "That I smelled something in the air when it was _impossible_ for it to have been there in the first place? And here's the even bigger question…would you have believed me if I had?"

Steve opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it and closed his mouth again.

"That's what I thought," She folded her arms. "Look, I had my own reasons for keeping secrets from you…but I had nothing to do with Natasha and Fury. So, don't lump me in with them…it's not fair, and it's certainly not the same situation. Yes, I'm sorry I wasn't completely honest with you, but it was a touchy situation at best."

"This doesn't have anything to do with Natasha and Fury," Steve frowned.

"Really? So, being upset about my secrets has _nothing_ to do with the fact they kept all those secrets from you," Case asked. "That because of their behavior you're not just a little overly sensitive to the fact I kept a few secrets from you?"

"Steve…it's alright to admit it," Sam pointed out. "Just like it's alright to be upset…just don't take it out on Case for…whatever it is she kept from you."

Steve gave a sigh, "Fine."

Case knew he was nowhere near it, but she'd take the small temporary acceptance. "Alright…now…where were we?"

* * *

The metal walls and platforms of the factory soon made way to a damp brick hallway.

Steve had made quick work of any Hydra guards that came across their path, freezing to a stop at the beginning of said hallway.

Case nearly crashed into him, looking down the hallway at what Steve was seeing.

There was a single man standing that had just come out of one of the doorways. He wore a hat and glasses and carried with him a large briefcase with a raincoat over his arm.

A few moments later he was running in the opposite direction.

Both Steve and Case took off running but slowed to a stop after realizing they'd never catch him.

Suddenly, a wave of…she could only describe the scent of damp concrete, mostly because she didn't want to identify the others. Blood was in abundance, and possibly other bodily fluids as well. Case's hands went to her knees as a wave of nausea hit her.

"You alright?" Steve whispered as she failed to fight off a dry heave.

Case gave a nod and leaned against the wall, wiping sweat away from her forehead, "Just sooner we can get outta here the better." She slowly straightened and tried to breathe through her mouth instead of her nose as they walked into the next room.

Steve went in cautiously, but the voice made Case's ears practically perk up.

"Sergeant…Three-two-five-five-seven…Barn…"

Case's shoulders slumped in relief as Steve breathed out, "Bucky?"

She finally came around the corner and her eyes widened at the sight of Bucky strapped to the table. Both she and Steve let out, "Oh my god!"

As Steve started ripping straps Bucky stared wide-eyed at a metal contraption in front of him, but Case's gaze was on Bucky as Steve set him loose. She took a few steps closer, noticing Bucky suddenly stopped mumbling all together. "What the hell did they do to him?"

It took Bucky a few moments to register another presence nearby let alone two, and the jostling Steve was doing seemed to bring him out of his stupor. Suddenly he mumbled, "Is…is that…?" he looked to his left.

"It's me, it's Steve," Steve gave him a reassuring smile.

"Steve…" Bucky's face lit up in a tired grin.

Steve helped Bucky to his feet, almost in disbelief at what he was seeing, "We thought you were dead…"

Bucky looked confused as he said, "I thought you were smaller."

"Apparently joining the Army can fix that," Case told him.

Both turned to face her with frowns on their faces, before Bucky turned back to Steve and demanded, "What is she doing here?"

Steve didn't respond, he was focused on something across the room behind Case. All that could be heard was the sounds of explosions and gunfire coming from outside. He was still holding Bucky upright, and a few moments later latched onto Bucky completely, pulling him along as he said, "Come on!"

"What happened to you?" Bucky then asked.

"Like Case said, I joined the Army."

Case rolled her eyes and followed them out of the lab.

Soon enough Bucky pulled away from Steve, getting his feet underneath him. "Did it hurt?" He asked.

"A little."

"Is it permanent?"

"So far," Steve shrugged he kept his pace.

"Why'd you bring Case with you?"

"She jumped out of the plane after me," Steve admitted.

"I'm standing right here!" Case snapped at them both. With a roll of her eyes she added, "Thought you'd be happy to see us Barnes…guess that was hoping for too much."

There were a few moments of silence, with nothing but their footsteps echoing off the walls.

Case noticed Bucky's gaze kept going back to her, and there was confusion on his face each time. "Something wrong Sergeant?"

Finally, Bucky asked, "Is that my sweater?"

With another eye roll, Case said, "Just keep moving, alright?"

* * *

"Well you did steal the guy's sweater," Sam pointed out.

"No, I did not steal it, he left it behind."

"But you didn't return it," Steve pointed out. "Even after the mission."

Case rubbed at the back of her neck, "He told me I could keep it…" she felt her cheeks get warm as she mumbled something else.

Sam frowned, "Sorry Case…some of us don't have super hearing…could you repeat that?"

"He said it looked better on me anyways…"

Sam looked to Steve for confirmation, but Steve gave a shrug.

Case rolled her eyes, "Despite what you may think, Steve wasn't _always_ around for everything." She shook her head, "Anyway…"

* * *

They reached the factory just as it began to explode around them. Steve raised his shield as a particularly strong blast knocked all three of them backward. Bucky and Case followed him up a nearby staircase to the higher platforms.

A new voice yelled out from across the room, "Captain America! How exciting!"

He was tall, with dark hair and wearing a black trench coat with the Hydra symbol on the buckle and at his shoulders. He stood next to the man from the laboratory, and handed him a large, cylindrical container as he stepped toward the walkway that stretched across the factory.

"I am a great fan of your films!" The speaker added.

As Steve began walking across the platform, Case made a move to follow, only to be stopped by Bucky, who stood behind her and grabbed the railing to keep himself upright…and her in place in front of him, between his arms. She cast a glare over her shoulder at him, to which Bucky responded with a quiet, "Stay."

"So, Doctor Erskine managed it after all," The man continued. Both he and Steve moved closer to each other, and the man added, "Not exactly an improvement but still…impressive."

Steve opted to throw a punch to the man's face, knocking him back a few steps. "You've got no idea," Steve growled as the man clutched at his face in shock.

Something was off about the man's face after the punch – there was an unnatural amount of red around his right eye – and after he recovered he said, "Haven't I?" He reared back and threw a punch that Steve just barely managed to shove his shield in front of.

Case gave a quiet gasp and took a step back toward Bucky as she noticed the fist-sized dent in the metal. She didn't realize how close behind her he was, though, and stepped back into his chest and onto his toes. As Bucky gave a grunt of pain she quickly shifted her feet and mumbled, "Sorry Buck."

"I'm fine," He hissed back.

The man threw another punch, knocking Steve off his feet entirely. Steve grabbed hold of the rails and used them to haul himself up and kick the man in the chest with both feet.

The man was knocked flat on his back as his companion pulled a lever and the walkway split in two, bringing both men to their respective sides.

"No matter what lies Erskine told you…you see, I was his greatest success!" He began to pull at his face, peeling away a flesh-colored rubber mask. He revealed a blood red, completely bald, skull-like face was hidden underneath.

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asked as the Red Skull threw the mask into the flames.

"You are deluded, Captain!" The Red Skull said. "You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind!" He turned toward the door, and added, "Unlike you, I embrace it proudly! Without fear!"

"Then how come you're running?" Steve demanded.

The Red Skull simply closed the door behind him.

Steve kept looking around, then his eyes locked on something overhead, and he motioned for Bucky and Case to look.

Across a steel beam overhead was a door…the same door Steve was currently pointing to.

"Oh god…" Case swallowed roughly.

"Come on," Steve yelled out, heading for the stairs.

When they'd reached the top, they could already hear the metal groaning and getting ready to give way.

"Ladies first," Steve motioned to the small beam.

Case took a deep breath, then coughed from all the smoke. "Steve…" She wheezed. "If we make it through…this…remind me to kill you."

"You're the one that wanted to come."

"I didn't volunteer for _this_ ," She added, getting into position.

"Now you know for next time."

Case didn't bother responding, she just kept her gaze on the door across the way and made her way across the narrow beam. She heaved a sigh of relief as she reached the platform and hauled herself over the railing.

Bucky was next, but the beam gave way when he was half way across. It dropped to a slight angle, but he was able to remain standing – thankfully so considering he'd have dropped into the flames if he didn't. He took another few steps as something exploded beneath them and the beam collapsed completely. He took a leap and managed to grab hold of the railing, pulling himself over as well.

Now it was Steve's turn, but with the beam gone he had no way of crossing.

"There's gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky called to him.

"Just go!" Steve called back. "Get out of here!"

"No! Not without you!" Bucky roared, slamming his palms against the railing.

Steve hesitated, then reached for the broken railing near him. He used his full body to bend it sideways to give himself more space. Then he backed up to the far edge of the platform, took off at a run, and jumped into the air.


	7. Chapter 7

**New update to move the story forward a bit. Still don't own anything Marvel related…**

* * *

"Irresponsible!"

"Dangerous!"

"Idiotic!"

"What the hell were you two thinking?"

Once they'd made camp for the night, both Bucky and Ryder started with the lectures…part of it screaming, part ranting, pacing back and forth in opposite directions, casting glares at each other as they passed in the middle of their circles.

"What the hell are you two smirking at?" Bucky finally demanded of the two.

Both Steve and Case grinned at them, watching them pace. They were both leaning against a nearby tree, with the largest silliest grins on their faces.

"We thought you were dead," Case began.

"And yet here you two are, safe and sound," Steve added. "You two can be angry all you want, we're just happy you're alive."

Both sets of shoulders slumped as they sat down across from Steve and Case. They both plopped down on the ground, apparently having run out of steam.

"You still haven't answered the question of what happened to you," Bucky told Steve. As Steve opened his mouth, Bucky pointed at him and snapped, "And don't say you joined the Army!"

Steve shifted, then sighed, "That doctor Schmitt mentioned…his name was Abraham Erskine. He developed a serum…I was a success story. Despite what Schmitt wants to call it, Erskine didn't think of him as a success."

"Man's nuttier than a fruit cake," Case pointed out.

"I don't know if I should be impressed, or pissed because you volunteered for it," Bucky admitted.

"Brought me to top physical condition, I'd say impressed would be a wise choice," Steve told him.

"Man has a point," Ryder chimed in. "Question though…are they making more soldiers like you?"

Steve shook his head, "Erskine…he's dead. One of Hydra's agents killed him after I got the serum." He looked down at the ground, and he felt Case give his left shoulder a squeeze. "I know they're trying to figure out the formula…but so far, it's just me."

"So, what are you doing here together?" Ryder asked. He turned to Case, "I thought you were with the USO, not here for battles."

Case chuckled, then asked Steve, "You want to tell them, or should I?"

"Tell us what?" Bucky asked.

"It's…nothing really…" Steve said awkwardly.

"He's the 'Star Spangled Man with a Plan'…and I'm one of his Star-Spangled singers," Case explained. "It's this whole road show…this was our first trip overseas."

"The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan?" Bucky and Ryder asked simultaneously.

"It's not as ridiculous as it…" Steve began, then sighed, "Okay, it's exactly how it sounds…but bond sales increased in every town I visited."

"I think I'm out of a job now, considering," Case admitted. "Wonder what they're gonna say after we bailed on the last show."

Steve pulled the busted transponder out of his pocket, "I'm wondering what Peggy's going to say when we get back."

"How did you manage to bust that thing, anyway?"

"I've got no idea."

* * *

"Still sounds as ridiculous today as it did back in forty-three," Ryder Howlett chuckled.

The four of them stood in the cemetery, in front of the gravestone of the man that had called them there – Ryder and Case, Steve, and Sam.

It read:

 _Col. Nicholas J. Fury_

" _The path of the righteous man…"_

 _Ezekiel 25:71_

"Peggy asked if we were going to walk to Austria…didn't think after that flight we'd have to walk back," Case admitted.

They stood in silence for a few moments, listening to the breeze rustle the trees and the birds chirp as they flew by.

"So…" A new voice spoke up. A man in a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up to his face walked into their little circle, "You've experienced this sort of thing before."

Steve had a small smile on his face as he answered, "You get used to it."

Fury took a moment to gaze at his gravestone, then turned to them as he said, "We've been data mining Hydra's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship."

They all let that sink in for a moment.

Fury then continued, "I'm headed to Europe tonight. Wanted to ask if you'd come."

Steve paused a moment before answering, "There's something I've gotta do first."

"How 'bout you Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

Sam looked at Steve before saying, "I'm more of a soldier than a spy."

"Howletts?"

The twins looked at each other, before Ryder said, "Where Steve goes, we go."

"Alright then," He shook each of their hands, then said, "Anybody asks for me tell them they can find me," he nodded at the stone, "Right here."

As Fury took his leave, Natasha's voice called out, "You should be honored, that's about as close as he gets to saying, 'thank you'."

Steve smiled and walked over to Natasha, "Not going with him?"

"No," Natasha said emphatically.

"Not staying here."

"Nah," She looked off to the side before she told him, "I blew all my covers, I gotta to figure out a new one."

"That might take a while," Steve pointed out.

"I'm counting on it."

Case rolled her eyes and caught sight of Ryder. He had his eyes on the ground, staring at the flowers lying over Fury's fake grave…almost like he was trying to ignore Natasha's presence there.

"That thing you asked for," Natasha held out a file to Steve, "I called in a few favors from Kiev."

Case tugged at Ryder's sleeve, "Before you look at that file…we need to have a conversation you're not going to enjoy."

Ryder sighed and looked down at her, "Case, I'm sorry—"

"It's not about Bucky."

They'd missed part of Steve and Natasha's conversation, but when she stretched up to kiss Steve on the cheek, Case could swear she could hear Ryder's teeth grinding together as his jaw clenched.

She took a few steps back, before she gazed at all of them in turn. Case didn't miss the tiny quirk of her lips as she looked at Ryder, before she said, "Be careful…all of you." She nodded toward the file in Steve's hand. "You might not want to pull on that thread."

She walked away as Ryder, Case, and Sam all made their way toward Steve. He opened the file, and Case could see a picture of Bucky behind glass. As she got closer she could see the smaller picture of him clipped to the larger picture, this one a black and white snapshot of just his face, his uniform hat perched on his head.

"You're going after him," Sam stated.

"You don't have to come with me."

Sam looked at the Howletts, who each gave him a nod before he said, "We know…when do we start?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Still don't own anything Marvel related...**

* * *

The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and boots were clomping on the ground as the soldiers marched through the forest.

Case stood beside Bucky, who was marching next to Steve, with Ryder on his right. The three of them clutched rifles, Steve didn't carry anything except for his shield.

The rest of the men marched behind them – some of them driving the vehicles they'd commandeered from the Hydra compound.

Case's sensitive ears picked up the voices up ahead, and as the camp came into sight she could see a group of soldiers standing at the front, all faces staring at the group in shock as they called out to the others.

The bar lifted to allow them access, and men lined up on either side of their group as they marched into camp. Many began to applaud as they made their way further inside.

Steve came to a stop as Colonel Phillips barged through the throngs of men, with Peggy coming up behind him. Steve gave the officer a salute, before saying, "Some of these men need medical attention."

"Bennings, we got wounded!" Someone called out.

"Right over here," Another voice added.

"I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action," Steve added.

"That won't be necessary," Phillips said, and if Case didn't know any better, she'd have sworn it was a look of pride that washed over the Colonel's face.

"Yes sir," Steve said.

With that, Phillips turned to Peggy and said, "Faith huh?" Before walking away.

Peggy took that moment to step right up to Steve, and stood at her full height as she said, "You're late."

Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the broken transponder, "Couldn't call my ride."

Peggy seemed to be trying to remain stoic, but a small smile quirked her red lips.

"Hey!" Bucky finally yelled out. "Let's hear it for Captain America!"

And with that, the soldiers erupted in loud applause and cheers.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be looking up Hydra intel?"

It was just Case and Ryder in the apartment for now. A new day had dawned, and Steve said he wanted to start the search for Bucky as soon as possible.

Case had insisted Steve keep his morning routine, mainly to get him out of the apartment for a while. She needed to have that conversation with Ryder…she just wasn't sure how to do it.

Now, Ryder was seated at her dining room table, laptop open to a Facebook page. He gave a sigh as she took the chair next to him, and said, "I am…just sometimes I wonder what could have been, you know?"

"Come on, it's me," Case pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," Ryder admitted. "Sounds like Hodge treated her right, though…so I can't complain too much."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Yeah, a few times. She told me about her kids and grandkids…she just loves being a mother and grandmother, says she wouldn't change a thing."

"You just wish it had been you instead of Hodge."

"Damn straight."

Case gave his shoulder a squeeze, "I'm sorry, Ryder."

"Don't be…it is what it is," Ryder shrugged. "I _hate_ it…but we can't go back, only forward. And there's no guarantee she wouldn't have ended up with Hodge in the end anyway."

"Fair point," Case admitted.

Ryder closed Facebook and opened his searches for Hydra information. "The more I see of this shit, the more furious I become. How can someone do that to a human being?"

"You worked in a Hydra factory…does it really surprise you?" Case asked.

"This is beyond that though, Case," Ryder told her. "I haven't even…this is just based on that folder Natasha left, I'm sure we're not even scratching the surface!"

"I _know_ ," Case snapped. She got to her feet, walking away from the table. "God…when we were in Siberia…he was always the Asset. Or the Soldier…didn't have a name, didn't even know what his name _was_. He seemed shocked to find out he had one."

"At least you had him," Ryder said. "Small comfort knowing you weren't there _alone_ …even if he didn't have any clue as to who you were."

Case shifted on her feet, "About that…"

At that moment, the door opened, and Steve and Sam came in.

 _Dammit,_ Case sighed.

"Good you already got started," Steve said to Ryder. "I'm going to shower, then I'll join you with the research."

"Good luck with that file," Ryder scowled. "The stuff Natasha uploaded to the internet…it's not for the faint of heart."

"Why don't you close that for a bit…I think we owe Sam more of our story," Case said to him, sitting down in her recliner.

Sam – who appeared to have already showered and changed after his morning run before arriving – sat down on the sofa. "Wouldn't mind hearing more…and it sounds like Ryder needs a break from that stuff."

"You have no idea," Ryder slammed his laptop shut, and joined Sam on the sofa.

"Alright…so…I remember Steve was meeting with the higher ups regarding Schmidt…" Case went over what she could remember. "Oh…speaking of Viola…"

* * *

"Alright, Sergeant Barnes, you're free to go," The nurse said, taking away the blood pressure cuff.

"Thank you, ma'am," Bucky flashed his charming smile at the nurse before turning to the Howlett twins, "See, I told you. I'm fine."

Neither Case nor Ryder looked convinced, even after the examination.

"You're alive! Thank god!"

The wind got knocked out of Case as arms suddenly were flung around her, and blonde curls flew into her face.

"I was so scared I'd never see you again…they were saying you were both killed in action—"

"Viola…" Case gasped, coughing from lack of air and with strands of hair flying into her mouth. "Can't…breathe…!"

"Oh sorry," Viola said, releasing Case.

Case gave a gasp of air, "It's fine…I'm fine…"

Viola looked at the other two in the room, "Oh…hello. I'm Viola…and you two are?"

Ryder gave her a charming smile and took hold of her hand before kissing her knuckles, "Ryder Howlett, at your service."

Viola gave a nervous laugh as she blushed, "Nice to meet you…Case told me a lot about you."

"All good things I hope."

"Only the best."

Case rolled her eyes and walked over to stand near Bucky, "Was he always like this?"

"Only around the pretty ones," Bucky shook his head, folding his arms.

Case frowned, "You think she's pretty?"

"I'm partial to brunettes, actually," Bucky admitted.

"And blondes, and redheads…" Case added. "Have you ever met a woman you didn't think was pretty?"

Bucky gave an eye-roll of his own, "Alright, so I've had my fair share. But lately I've been partial to just _one_ brunette…kinda short with blue-green eyes."

"Must be a pretty amazing girl then."

"That she is," Bucky said with a smile.

"She knows how you feel?"

"Oh uh…not yet…haven't really gotten a chance to talk to her for a while, ya know?"

"Right…" Case sighed and looked down at her shoes. "What with…all this and…everything…"

"Case…are you alright?"

"Fine," Case said, finally looking up at him. "It's me…I'm always fine."

"No, you're not…" Bucky frowned at her, with concern etched into his face. "You look very far from fine…you look like you're about to cry."

"No, no," Case shook her head, opting to look down at the ground to hide her tear-filled eyes. "I'm good, really. Happy as a clam, and over the moon you're okay." She took a step back from him, heading toward the opening of the tent. "I've uh…I've gotta go see someone about a thing…so I'm just going to take my leave."

* * *

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Steve demanded. He'd finished his shower and joined them during their most recent retelling of the story. He was seated on the floor next to the coffee table, staring at her with utter disbelief on his face.

"What?" Case asked.

"I believe what our less than subtle friend is trying to say…no, that's pretty much it," Ryder agreed.

"I don't get it."

"Short brunette with blue-green eyes…" Steve repeated. "Dammit Case, really?"

"I told you Steve!" Ryder said, then he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the table and said, "You didn't believe me…said it didn't count. Well it did!"

Steve slid the bill back, "He didn't _outright_ say it—"

"Come on! Even _you_ can listen to that and know he was talking about _her!_ " Ryder snapped, pointing at Case. "For God's sake Steve just take the damn win and be done with it!"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Case shouted at them.

Ryder grumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face, "For starters… _you_ were the only short blue-eyed brunette Bucky had his eye on since nineteen forty-one!"

"Longer than that," Steve told him.

"Please…you and Bucky were both still making your way through the single ladies of Brooklyn at that time," Case rolled her eyes at Ryder.

"Well of course he was…he wasn't going to try and steal someone else's girl," Ryder snapped. "And I thought Steve was a dope when it came to romance."

"Hey!" Steve snapped.

"Back to the point, Steve, take the twenty," Ryder added.

"I can't believe you two bet on me and Bucky," Case rolled her eyes as Steve finally took the twenty from the coffee table.

"One, that's the pot calling the kettle black," Steve said as he pocketed the bill. "And secondly, we didn't bet on you and Bucky. We always knew one of you'd eventually crack."

"So, we bet on who would make the first move," Ryder explained. "Steve here figured Bucky would make the first move…jerk had an ace up his sleeve with that one, so I call BS, but whatever."

"And you thought I'd make a move on him?" Case asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Ryder shrugged, "He'd call you 'Doll', you'd blush…something would hit the fan eventually. I figured an embarrassing display followed by a premature 'I love you' actually…" He gave a grunt when Case reached over and punched him in the arm, "I'm sorry Case…I just call it like it is."

"Who did you bet on for Steve?" Sam asked.

Ryder gave a snort, and Case rolled her eyes. "It wasn't that…there was a bet on when Steve would make a move on Peggy Carter."

"Uh-huh," Steve said, unamused. "So, unless my information was incorrect…"

"Alright, it was a pool between the Howling Commandos," Case grumbled. "Everyone had a month except for May and September…nobody wanted those."

"Even Bucky?" Ryder asked.

"Bucky didn't bet," Case said. "Apparently he'd missed the memo on the betting pool. He said he'd get back to me on that."

"He chose not to?"

Case sighed, "No…that was right before the train mission."

"Oh…" Ryder said in a quiet voice. "So, um…let's continue then?"

Case gave a nod, opting to stare at the coffee table instead.

"So…Case had just awkwardly left the tent…"

* * *

"What the hell just happened?"

"You say something Buck?" Ryder asked, still gazing at Viola.

"When did I become invisible?" Bucky grumbled.

Viola looked over at him, "Where did Case go?"

"She left!" Bucky rolled his eyes. "I was trying to talk to her…and she just got all weepy and left!"

"I'll go talk to her," Viola suggested. "See what's bothering her. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

Bucky gave a growl of annoyance as he said, "Bucky…my name is Bucky Barnes."

"Oh!" Viola said, eyes widening slightly. She eyed him up and down, "You're as cute as Case said you'd be…sorry, I'll go see what's going on with her."

And with that she left.

"She's cute," Ryder said with a small grin on his face. "Case never had a friend _that_ cute before."

"In case you've forgotten, most of Case's friends were _men,_ " Bucky rolled his eyes. "Not many dames made the cut."

Bucky cocked his head, "Does that mean…Case has a _girlfriend_?"

Ryder thought that one over, "You know, I think so."

* * *

"You say that like I never had one before!" Case snapped.

"Case…name three girls you were friends with," Ryder told her.

Case thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.

"Nobody in the present time counts," Steve cut in.

Case closed her mouth. Then she perked up, "Becca! Becca counts, right?"

Ryder and Steve exchanged looks.

"Who's Becca?" Sam asked.

"Rebecca Barnes, Bucky's little sister," Steve explained. "I mean…I guess technically she does count."

"Ha!" Case said triumphantly.

"But you have to admit other than Becca you really didn't have a lot of girlfriends," Ryder told her.

"Still counts," Case reminded him.

* * *

"Case!"

Case rolled her eyes, heading off to…she wasn't sure where she was headed to. All she knew was that she needed to get away from that tent…after all this she couldn't bear hearing about yet _another_ girl Bucky had his eye on.

"Case! Wait up!"

"What is it Viola?" Case turned around to face her friend.

Viola jogged over to her, "What's wrong? Your friend Bucky is kind of angry you just walked away from him like that."

"He'll get over it," Case rolled her eyes.

"And furthermore…" Her face split into a friendly grin, "Oh my _god_ he's beautiful!"

"Yes, he is," Case nodded. "And he knows it too."

"I'm surprised you weren't stuck to him like a second skin after all this."

"Sure, that makes a lot of sense," Case rolled her eyes as she folded her arms. "'Hey Bucky, I know we've been friends for years, but now I just want to curl up in your lap like an oversized housecat'."

"Why don't you just tell him you like him as more than a friend and start there?"

"Because he doesn't like me the same way."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because he started going off about this girl…kinda short brunette with blue eyes," Case told her.

Viola cocked her head at her, then stood a little straighter while still looking down at her.

Case cocked an eyebrow as she looked up at her, "What in the world are you doing?"

"Just…nothing, never mind," Viola shook her head. "So…by the way…is your brother seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know of…help yourself," Case gave a shrug. "Considering the goo-goo eyes you both were making at each other, I'd say the feeling is mutual."

"Really? You think so?"

"Ryder doesn't really make goo-goo eyes at anyone," Case admitted. "He's clearly smitten with you, that's for sure."

Viola frowned at that, and chewed on her lip for a moment, "And Bucky…do you know who he was talking about?"

Case shook her head, "Not really…describes any number of girls, really. There are a _lot_ of short brunettes back in Brooklyn."

"And you think it was one of them?"

"Well yeah…I mean, who else would he be talking about?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Just outta curiosity…are we ever going to get to you and Barnes getting together? Or were those just rumors that the rest of the guys were telling?"

The three of them looked at Sam.

"What? Now you've got me sucked into it," Sam said, holding up his hands in defense. "And now I want to know!"

"Yeah, but this story isn't just about my relationship with Bucky," Case pointed out.

"True…but now you've got us all wondering," Sam pointed out. "And we already agreed we'd be talking about tough subjects."

"Maybe explain why you don't talk about him," Steve murmured.

"I told you why," Case frowned at him.

"No, that would explain why it would be painful to talk about him, but not why you don't want to talk about him at all."

Case's eyes started to fill with tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Steve finally realized he'd pushed it too far, "Case, I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

Case shook her head, shutting her eyes tightly and motioned with her free hand for Steve to stop talking. Without a word she got to her feet and walked out of the room, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Steve looked to the two on the sofa, "I really didn't mean—"

"I know Steve," Ryder cut him off. "I've wondered the same thing…but you can't push her into answering, you know that."

Steve sighed, "I just don't like it…it can't be healthy for her."

"No, but that's the whole point of this exercise," Sam pointed out. "Get her to open up about all the stuff she's bottled up. Maybe help her move forward a bit…have less issues with her daily life."

Ryder frowned at that, "What issues with her daily life?"

Sam shook his head, "Patient confidentiality."

"But you just said—"

"Yes, I did, and I'm not going into details," Sam told him. "Case will tell her stories in her own time—"

They cut off when the bedroom door reopened. It closed, then a second door opened and closed.

They could hear running water from the sink, before it shut off.

The door opened and closed, and Case came around the corner, resuming her place in her recliner. Her eyes were red and her cheeks puffy, and she gave the occasional sniffle from a stuffed nose.

"Case—" Steve began.

"Let's just get on with the rest of the story," She said quietly, effectively cutting off Steve's sentence.

* * *

"So, let's get this straight…"

Steve sat with a few of the soldiers from the rescue mission. The one who'd just spoken, as he put his large mug of beer down on the table with a _thud_ , had a large mustache and was named Timothy Dugan, though had earned the nickname 'Dum-Dum'. His usual bowler hat was absent.

Gabe Jones, the dark-skinned soldier, spoke up next, not missing a beat, "We barely got out of there alive and you want us to go back?"

Steve let the question hang for a moment before he answered, "Pretty much."

James Montgomery Falsworth, the British soldier, gave a smile as he said, "Sounds rather…fun actually."

The Asian soldier from Fresno, Jim Morita, gave a loud belch and simply said, "I'm in."

Jacques Dernier began speaking French. Gabe responded to whatever he'd said, and he ended their conversation with a loud laugh as the two shook hands. As everyone looked at them expectantly, Gabe gave a smile and said, "We're in."

Steve then looked to Dugan, who raised his mug to him and said, "Hell, I'll always fight. But you gotta do one thing for me."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

With that, Dugan drained his mug and slammed it down on the table, "Open a tab."

Steve grinned as they all began laughing and grabbed the empty mugs. He walked over to the bar and dropped them on the counter, saying, "Another round."

"Where are they putting this stuff?" The bartender asked in exasperation.

Steve shook his head and made his way around the corner through a set of doors, where the rest of his companions sat.

"See? I told you!" Bucky announced, spinning around on his stool. He raised his glass to take a drink as he added, "They're all idiots."

Case sat next to him and rolled her eyes. Ryder was leaning against the wall, with Viola sitting on the barstool beside him. They'd apparently gotten _very_ close since the rescue, if the way he had his arm around her was any indication…that and the way they were cuddled together looked like they were trying to take up the same space.

"How 'bout you?" Steve asked as he took the empty seat on Bucky's left. "Are you ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell no," Bucky shook his head. "That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight…I'm following him." He motioned back at the Captain America poster, then said, "But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

Steve looked back at the poster as well, "You know what? It's kinda growing on me."

"Well we know who's taking point at all times," Ryder smirked as he took a drink from his own glass.

Steve shook his head, "So that means you're in too?"

"Absolutely…someone's gotta take the bullets for the team."

"And translate for Dernier when Gabe's not available," Case pointed out.

Steve finally looked at her, "What about you, Case? You in?"

Case frowned, "Me?"

"Yes you."

"But…I mean…" She shifted in her seat, "I kinda…well…the whole beam crossing thing…"

"We'll call it first mission jitters," Steve shrugged it off. "So, what do you say, Case?"

Case's smile nearly split her face as she shot to her feet, hand up in a salute, "Looks like I'm your girl, sir!"

Steve chuckled, "At ease, soldier, at ease."

Case lowered her arm, "But I _don't_ have to keep my outfit, right?"

"What, you don't want to run around on the battlefield in a tiny skirt?" Steve asked with a laugh.

"What tiny skirt?" Bucky asked, ears practically perking up at the idea.

"Later," Case rolled her eyes as the bar went quiet. When even the rest of the guys fell silent, Steve and Bucky both leaned back on their barstools.

Peggy Carter stepped into the doorway, dressed in a red dress that accentuated her curves with a pair of matching red heels…and if Case was being honest it made her feel like she was wearing a burlap sack rather than her simple black sheath dress.

"Captain," Peggy began, walking toward them.

"Agent Carter," Steve greeted.

Bucky eyed the woman up and down, and when she looked at him he added, "Ma'am."

Case's eyes narrowed, and she flopped back onto her barstool.

In their corner, Viola whispered to Ryder, "Did he just—?"

Ryder made a face, "He did…"

Carter, on the other hand, only had eyes for Steve, "Howard has some equipment for you to try. Tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," Steve said simply.

Bucky kept looking between Steve and Peggy, Steve kept his eyes on Peggy, while Peggy was looking out at the rest of the singing men. She looked back at Steve, "I see your top squad is prepping for duty."

"You don't like music?" Bucky asked.

Case's right eye twitched, and Ryder kept shaking his head, mouthing, 'no, no, no!'

"I do actually," Peggy said, eyes still locked on Steve. "I might even, after this is all over, go dancing."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Peggy's gaze never left Steve's, "The right partner." With that, she turned and started to leave, "Oh-Eight-Hundred, Captain."

"Yes ma'am, I'll be there," Steve smiled after her.

"I'm invisible," Bucky said in disbelief. He looked at Steve, "I'm turning into you, it's like some horrible dream."

"The dream that just keeps on giving," Case muttered, downing the rest of her drink like a shot. "Over and over and over again."

Viola clasped her shoulder in a comforting gesture, while Ryder was still shaking his head in annoyance.

"Don't take it too hard," Steve said, clapping Bucky on the back. "Maybe she's got a friend."

As they returned to their drinks, Case cast a look toward Bucky. She cleared her throat and began, "Hey Bucky…if you…" When he locked gazes with her, she felt her cheeks redden and she quickly looked down at the table, "Never mind…"

Ryder frowned at that, "You were going somewhere with that?"

"No, I wasn't," Case shook her head quickly.

"Case—"

"Gotta go," She said quickly, getting to her feet and racing through the doorway.

Ryder face-palmed, scrubbing his hand over his face. "Oh, and since she's gone—" he marched over and smacked Bucky in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the hell!"

"You know exactly what the hell!" Ryder snapped at him.

"Look, she made it clear she wasn't interested," Bucky grumbled, going back to his drink.

"Good job showing her _you_ were," Viola frowned at him. "Hitting on Steve's girl in front of her…and in front of _him_ no less!"

"Wait, she's not…" Steve stuttered. "I…she…I don't…I mean…"

"New body, new outfit, new team, same Steve," Bucky rolled his eyes, smiling into his glass.

"Bucky," Ryder snapped, and pointed to the door.

"You saw what happened earlier," Bucky pointed out, then he frowned thoughtfully, "Well, actually, you didn't…but still—"

"Go talk to her," Ryder said firmly.

"Alright, alright," Bucky said, getting to his feet.

* * *

"God that was humiliating…" Case muttered, as she placed her glass down on the scratched wooden surface. She signaled the bartender, "I need a shot of the strongest anything you've got."

With raised eyebrows the bartender grabbed a shot glass and poured, "You sure about this ma'am?"

"Absolutely not…which is why I figure what the hell," Case shrugged and grabbed the glass. "Cheers," She toasted the bartender and took the shot. Whatever it was burned as it went down, and she coughed and gave a small salute as she got back to her feet.

Hopefully by the time she'd reached the guys she could ask her question…at the very least forget the embarrassing display from before.

However, the burn was short lived, and with a sigh, Case asked for another.

"Are you sure—"

"Yes, I'm…" She trailed off when someone caught her by the arm.

"Miss Howlett, my friend and I would like a dance," He was dark-haired and pale and gave her an innocent smile. His companion was different, blonde hair and blue eyes with a thicker build.

"Thanks, but maybe some other time," Case said, gently pulling her arm out of his grip. She turned back toward the bartender, "So about that drink—"

"We saw you in the USO show," His friend spoke up. "We know you're great at dancing."

"This is true, but I really have to go," Case turned away once she had her drink. She paused, "Why does your voice sound familiar?"

"Something wrong, Case?" Bucky's voice spoke up behind her.

"No, not at all," Case said, scratching at her head, "Now that's gonna bug me."

"So, about that dance?" The pale man began.

"Now I remember!" Case said suddenly, "You're the guy that dropped his pants and pretty much told Steve to kiss his ass!" she turned to his friend, "And you're the one that called him Tinkerbell!"

She could feel Bucky go rigid behind her, and anger starting to come from him in waves. The men held their hands up in defense, "Hey, we were just asking her if she wanted to dance!"

"And I do," Case agreed. She turned to face Bucky, "How 'bout it Barnes? Want to dance with me?" when he continued to glare at the two men before her, she tapped him on the cheek.

"Huh?" he looked down at her.

"Pretty girl…wants to dance with you…you want to or not?" Case asked as she gazed up at him.

"Yeah…let's go," Bucky said, casting one last glare at the two before walking away with Case.

* * *

For the third time that evening, Bucky gave a grunt of pain and looked up at the ceiling as his dance partner gave another sigh.

Her head pressed against his chest in frustration, "I swear…I _am_ a good dancer…"

"Apparently in all that time you were a show girl you forgot how to dance with a partner," Bucky muttered, wiggling his toes in his shoes. "Reminds me of Steve the last time I tried to show him a few steps."

Case glared up at him, "I am _not_ that bad!"

"Really? 'Cause from where I'm standing it would appear you have two left feet," Bucky told her.

Case gave a huff of disbelief, and then slapped him across the face before she stormed away.

Bucky blinked in shock, and then turned to where Steve and Ryder were still standing at the bar, the two quickly turning their backs to him as he made his way over. Viola had her hand pressed over her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking. "Can't believe she hit me…" He muttered and rubbed his cheek as he resumed his seat.

"We've all seen Case hit…that was a love tap," Ryder told him. "Also, in the future I would avoid telling Case she has two left feet."

"You ever had your feet stomped on by her?" Bucky looked up at him, not bothering to ask how he knew about the left feet comment, he already knew both Case and Ryder had ears like bats.

"Who do you think was her partner most of the time?" Ryder grimaced. "I think she broke my foot a few times too…" He noticed the red palm-print that was forming on Bucky's cheek, and added, "She really got you good, didn't she?"

"You'd think I'd said she was hideous," Bucky winced and held his glass to his face.

* * *

"I forgot you slapped him," Ryder said, laughing at the memory.

"I'm surprised you didn't slap him sooner," Sam pointed out.

"Case?" Steve asked.

Case had contributed a little bit to the story but had mostly stayed quiet. She was hugging her knees to her chest, and tears were rolling down her cheeks. But her cheeks were also very, _very_ red.

"Are you blushing?"

"No!" Case said quickly, "I'm…it's puffiness."

"No…that's definitely a blush," Steve said, "Why are you blushing _and_ crying? Is that even possible?"

"Evidently, since she's doing it right now," Ryder pointed out.

"Look, it's just…obviously that's not where it ends," Case said. "And…I just don't know how to…go into it."

"Just say it," Sam suggested.

Case shifted in her chair, hugging her knees tighter to her chest.

* * *

Bucky found Case outside of the bar, arms folded as she stared down at her shoes. He could see her bone claws sticking out of the backs of her hands and winced as he got closer.

"Come out here to make fun of me again?" Case barked, gaze never coming to meet his.

"I wanted to apologize," Bucky admitted, moving to stand next to her. "Wanted to know if you'd like to try again?"

"And humiliate myself again? Not just yet," Case closed her eyes, and Bucky could've sworn her cheeks were darkening.

"I promise not to make fun of you," Bucky coaxed, moving closer to her.

Case rolled her eyes, and her cheeks were still getting darker, "Y'know, I used to be confident in my ability to dance with someone…you make me nervous."

"You jumped out of a plane after Steve, did a tight-rope walk between two metal platforms in a room that was filled with flames…and _I_ make you nervous?" Bucky asked incredulously. As Case opened her mouth, he said, "You still did it…say what you will you still made it across and are willing to go back for more."

Case gave a sigh, and mumbled, "You always make me nervous."

"What?"

"You _always_ make me nervous," Case enunciated. "Look, its stupid okay? Just forget I said anything." She rubbed at the backs of her hands, "Damn things are stuck…I can't go back inside until I can retract them."

Bucky frowned, still confused. "But _how_ do I make you nervous?"

"Just forget it, alright? I…stop smirking at me!" Case stomped her foot at him. His face broke out into a grin, that just seemed to get larger. "Why are you smirking like that?"

"I think I get it," Bucky said, his smile showing off his teeth.

"No…no you don't," Case shook her head; "You haven't gotten it so far."

"Maybe I just needed a confirmation…more than your face going red when I call you 'Doll-Face'," Bucky pointed out. "But…I think you overthink everything and get nervous about the silliest things…and it hurts you in the long run."

"Yeah…but things like this…it changes things…and what if it ends badly? Certain things need to be looked at from all angles and…what are you doing?" Case took a step back as Bucky reached her, invading her personal space.

"You talk a lot," Bucky said, still grinning.

"Just when I'm nervous…" Case rubbed at the back of her neck, "But my argument still stands…you can't just leap into something—" she cut off instantly when Bucky pressed his lips to hers. Instantly the claws retreated into her hands. Her arms went around his neck, trying to pull him closer as she shoved her fingers into his hair.

When they broke apart for air, Bucky rested his forehead against hers, "What if it doesn't end badly?"


	10. Chapter 10

**So here's the next update. Still don't own anything Marvel...any questions, comments, concerns, feel free to ask. I will try to explain all in due time.**

* * *

"Come on, Ryder…you gotta face it sometime."

"Not really," Ryder pointed out. "Technically I don't need to see this at all."

After her little breakdown, Case decided it was time for a break in the story. Plus…retelling the story was creating unnecessary drama where it wasn't needed. She'd stick with talking to Sam by herself from now on if she could.

Now she was trying something else…if she was going to try and conquer her ghosts, she was _hoping_ she could get Ryder to do the same. However, they _were_ twins…stubbornness was a trait that they both shared. She didn't want to push him too far…however, she wasn't expecting him to act like an overgrown man-child about it.

Her ninety-six-year-old brother – who was also twenty-five minutes older than she was, a fact he'd never let her forget since they started talking – was standing in the walkway with his arms crossed like a he was getting ready to throw a temper tantrum. As he glared at the ground he missed the odd looks and glares that the tourists were giving him as they walked around him.

Case, however couldn't miss the looks, and rolled her eyes, "Ryder, you're scaring the other guests! Come on!"

With a sigh, Ryder marched through the entrance to the "Captain America" exhibit.

They were trying to be as invisible as possible, Ryder was in a black hoodie with blue jeans, Case in a blue flannel shirt layered over white with black jeans. They also wore fake horn-rimmed glasses and black hats – Case had a slouchy knit hat and Ryder had a black baseball cap with 'US Veteran' patches sewn on it that he'd borrowed from Steve.

As they walked through the exhibit, Ryder mumbled, "How did I let you talk me into this?"

"You like talking about the past as much as I like talking about Bucky," Case mumbled back.

The twins made their way through the exhibit, pausing here and there to observe just like the other tourists. Case made their first stop the displays from the Captain America stage show.

The display included pictures of the group of dancing girls saluting the camera and a photo of Steve holding a motorcycle above his head with a few of them sitting on top of it. Farther down was a little dedication piece to the one dancing girl who had gone above and beyond the call of duty.

A mannequin was dressed in the typical outfit that the Star Spangled Singers had worn – a dress that had blue halter-style bodice with white stars sewn onto the collar and a red and white striped skirt that ended on the upper thighs, showing off the colors that the black and white photos were unable to capture, with the matching blue hat perched to the side on the faceless plastic head. Also, on the body were white gloves covering the plastic arms above the elbows and silver high-heeled shoes adorned the feet of the mannequin.

To the left, smiling brightly and giving a jaunty military salute was a photo of Case herself, hat perched atop dark ringlet curls that brushed over her shoulders.

" _Cassidy Howlett, known to her friends as 'Case' was the only female member of the 'Howling Commandos'. She earned her place in the Commandos by bravely following Captain Rogers into battle to save the imprisoned members of the One-Oh-Seventh—"_

"Is that what they're calling it?" Ryder asked with a chuckle.

Case laughed as well, "my thoughts exactly."

They both looked at the pictures, following the line and watching the images change from "Case the Dancing Girl" to "Case the Howling Commando" – high-heeled dancing shoes and ringlet curls making way to hastily pulled back hair and combat boots.

Although in later pictures her hair appeared 'hacked off' below the ears – Case remembered taking a knife and just slicing through her hair, tired of the maintenance required for the longer length.

"Do you regret it?" Ryder suddenly asked.

Case frowned at a nearby picture, "Cutting my hair with Dum-Dum's knife rather than going to a beauty parlor? A little…I mean, it came out wonky and—"

"No, no, not that," Ryder shook his head, "I mean…singing and dancing were some of your favorite things in life. I'm just surprised you didn't try to go back with the USO."

Case thought that one over. "I'd be lying if I said I had no regrets," She began carefully, "But agreeing to join the Commandos? That's not one of them."

The conversation died away as they paused at the line of figures of the Howling Commandos, especially with the Captain America costume missing.

"I still _love_ that Steve stole that," Ryder chuckled.

"Yeah," Case frowned. She thought she caught a familiar scent in the air, but then a rather _large_ woman wearing what Case could only assume was a full bottle of Chanelle Number Five walked by and the scent of the perfume overwhelmed her.

"God _damn_ ," Ryder breathed, clearly having caught the overwhelming perfume as well.

"I would say breathe through your mouth, but I it's so thick I can taste it," Case whispered at him.

They paused at the area that was devoted to Bucky, and Case stared at the black and white image for a moment before looking up at her brother.

Ryder's face looked neutral as his eyes traveled over the words, but there was a haunted look in his eyes…combined with a whole level of guilt.

"I'm going to ask you a question," Case warned him. "I'd like an honest answer…I'm not going to judge…I just want the truth."

Ryder didn't respond, and she really didn't expect him to.

Case took a deep breath and waited a moment before asking, "He told you to let him go, didn't he?"

She wasn't looking at Ryder, she kept her eyes on the display in front of her. In her peripheral, she could see Ryder bow his head.

"I know you wouldn't have just let him go," Case continued. "You would've fought them tooth and nail, or even would have gone in his place. So right now, all I want is a simple yes or no, with no judgements or accusations. Just the truth…did you just let it happen or were you following orders?"

"You know the answer."

"Yes, I do," Case admitted, looking up at him. "Do you?"

Ryder lifted his head again and gazed up at the picture, "Some days I do…others I don't."

"Why?"

"Because…" Ryder hesitated. "He was my friend…but he was human…" he looked away, "I _tried_ to keep him safe. I truly did…and I blew it. Hell, somedays I'm surprised they didn't take me too."

He gripped the ropes that kept patrons from getting too close and started staring at his hands. They were covered in black gloves made of thin cotton, same as when they were children. Ryder always swore he'd learned how to control his mutation, but he kept the gloves on as a precaution.

The way he always wore the gloves, though, and was rarely seen without them, Case often wondered if he was trying to convince others he'd mastered it…or if he was trying to convince himself.  
She knew her brother often feared what he could do – outside of herself and their father she highly doubted Ryder had admitted that to anyone else, even Steve and Bucky, although she was sure they suspected.

The way he kept staring at his hands, though, gave Case a hint about what happened, and she asked, "What did you do?"

"I…" Ryder thought about his words carefully. "Bucky collapsed…I was helping him up. One of the guards came over, yelling some gibberish in German," He let go of the rope and clenched his fists, "Propped Bucky up on one arm, yanked a glove off with my teeth…grabbed the guy by the back of the neck and told him to forget what he saw." He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Dumb luck it was us and the one guard…but when we got back to the cells…" He looked back up at the picture of his friend, "Bucky said while he was glad I had his back…it was too dangerous for me to do that again. He told me if it happened again to just let him go."

Case gave a small smile, "He was trying to protect you too."

"Yeah…" Ryder grumbled. "He made it two more days…then Zola took 'im."

Case reached up to put a hand on his arm but hesitated, "You still haven't forgiven yourself, have you?"

The scoff gave her the answer.

"You were following orders," Case told him. "He wanted you safe."

"Yeah, I know," Ryder admitted bitterly with a roll of his eyes. "Still doesn't help with the guilt, Cassidy, in case you haven't noticed."

"I know," Case sighed. She inhaled through her nose, then instantly straightened. She sniffed a few more times, "Ryder…?"

Without missing a beat, he sniffed the air himself, "No, it's there…you're not completely crazy."

Case looked over her shoulder and did a cursory glance around the room, before turning back to the display, "Dark alcove, two o'clock."

"Figures…" Ryder rolled his eyes. "You going to call Steve?"

"Nope," Case shook her head. "He's scared enough as it is. We bring Steve in now, it would do more harm than good."

"Fair point," Ryder gave a nod. "So…what _are_ we going to do about this?"

"Let him go for now…let Steve do his thing," Case told him. "And as far as Steve's concerned, we never saw him."

"Steve's going to be pissed about this."

"Steve's heart is in the right place, but he's not…" Case chewed on her lip. "I think the best idea is to give him time before we bring Steve in."

"You said his memories come back eventually…think they'll come back this time?"

"I have no doubt…the way they were talking about erasing mine…that's not the first time they did it to him," Case said in a bitter voice. "I still think maybe it's a better idea to let him regroup and come to us…but what do I know?"

Ryder glanced back toward the location Case had mentioned. He was dressed in a dark ball cap and jacket, his hair hidden underneath the jacket collar. His beard was thicker than the last time they saw him, and while he didn't move from his spot against the wall, where he stood with his arms folded tight against his chest, he stared back at them, seeming to stand his ground.

"He remembered me," Case said in a soft voice. She glanced back at him before going back to the display, "For one brief moment…he knew who I was."

There was something in her tone that prompted Ryder to ask, "You're not done with him yet, are you?"

"Old habits die hard I guess," Case admitted. "But I've waited this long for him, what's another decade?"

"Gonna grow old waiting."

"Meh…Mom and Dad haven't changed much in the last seventy years. I like my chances."

"I guess," Ryder nodded. Then he frowned, "Wait…Mom?"

Case grimaced, "Yeah…uh…that's the conversation you're not going to enjoy." She looked back at the alcove, but the assassin was gone.

Ryder looked back, then looked to Case, "I think we need to go pay a visit to Dad."


	11. Chapter 11

**Bit of a time skip in this one - I'm trying to create a story timeline that fits with the release dates with the MCU movies, so, for example, the first chapter of the story began in April 2014 when "Winter Soldier" was released in theaters.**

 **I also introduced a few Avengers into the story in this one as well...I hope I didn't butcher them too much.**

* * *

 _ **June 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2014**_

"I seem to remember a time when you were better company at parties…don't tell me that's changing in your old age."

Ryder gave a chuckle and looked toward the woman that now sat down beside him. "Who are you calling 'old'?"

" _You,_ Old Man," Viola smirked at him. "I may look like Yoda, but I know we're both the same age."

"You? Look like Yoda? Hardly," Ryder scoffed.

"Please, Ryder," Viola said. "I know I'm a prune…like the song says, 'there isn't one of these lines that I would erase'…I've lived a good life, and it shows."

Ryder gazed at her. Her once blonde hair was now silver, but still as curly as ever. Her eyes were bright and shiny, sparkling with the same energy as they had been when he first met her… _those damn eyes…_

"You got a problem with my eyes, boy?" Viola asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Ryder blinked, "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did."

"Sorry…I just feel like I'm turning into Case," Ryder sighed. "For two years straight, I heard nothing but how Bucky's eyes were gorgeous…" He looked up at her, "And when I look at you…I can see the same thing in your eyes now as I did back then. Energy, light…life."

Viola's cheeks turned pink, but otherwise she said nothing.

The two turned on their stools to look out at the room.

June 18th was the birthday of the Howlett twins, who officially turned ninety-six. The other Avengers had managed to plan a party in the Avengers' Tower, and they were currently in the common area, Viola and Ryder seated at the bar, observing the crowd.

Bruce and Tony were in some sort of debate, Ryder didn't need his mutant hearing to tell it was something that went way over his head. Rhodey and Thor were in a heated discussion as well, but they were farther across the room and with the ambient sound Ryder couldn't make out the conversation.

"Who's the blonde with Steve?" Viola asked.

Ryder looked off into the corner that Viola motioned toward, "That's Sharon…Peggy Carter's niece."

"Steve still can't talk to pretty girls?"

"Seems to be doing just fine," Ryder noted.

"And Case?"

"Let's not get into that one."

"Right…and you?"

Ryder blinked, "What about me?"

"You got your eye on someone?"

"Ryder doesn't date," Another voice spoke up behind them.

"Jesus Christ! You don't sneak up on an old woman like that!" Viola snapped, clutching at her chest. "Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"My apologies," The woman simply said. She grabbed an empty glass and a martini shaker.

Ryder shook his head, "Viola, this is my friend Natasha. Natasha, this is Viola Miller-Hodge."

"Nice to meet you," Natasha gave a friendly smile. She turned to Ryder as she prepped her drink, "Was wondering if the Old Man of the Hour wanted a drink."

Ryder rolled his eyes and held up his bottle of beer, "Got one right here, thanks…and what do you mean I don't date?"

"I have not seen you go out on a date since you were defrosted," Natasha pointed out, shaking the tumbler. "Unless you have a secret girlfriend none of us knows about."

"Nope, life is an open book," Ryder said simply. "No girlfriend to speak of at this time."

"Just say the word Howlett and I can find you someone great," Natasha said, and after pouring her drink into the glass she walked away without another word.

"I seriously doubt that," Ryder muttered, taking a sip from his bottle.

Viola was quiet for a moment, "So what's your story with the redhead?"

"She's a friend…she's strong, caring…if I crack joke in another language she laughs whether it's funny or not…"

"So…is there a reason she's offering to set you up with someone else?"

"Because I haven't told her who I was interested in."

"And why is that?"

"I was going to," Ryder admitted. "She's…amazing. But…there's a trust issue."

Viola cocked her head, "But—"

"Not that kind of trust issue," Ryder assured her. "Not to mention in certain departments, even with my experience I'm a little intimidated…"

"Afraid your moves from the forties are a little outdated?"

"Yeah…and if that gets around I'll deny it till the end of time, just so you know," Ryder told her. "But…during the Winter Soldier fiasco, she…she had her own missions to complete. Which is fine, but she didn't tell any of us that…"

As Ryder trailed off, Viola got the unspoken details. "Civilian versus SHIELD operative, right…but you're concerned she may not be honest with you if you pursue her, and you don't know how far that stretches."

"Yeah."

"That's fair," Viola admitted. "But I think you already know if you can trust her or not."

"Doesn't make things hurt less," Ryder told her. "And really…I don't get why I'm feeling this way. She's…she's the Black Widow. Spying, lying, they're like breathing for her. It's not like she hid that from anyone…well, Tony yes, but that was for a different reason."

Viola gave his shoulder a squeeze, "You'll figure things out Ryder, I know you will."

"Yeah," Ryder sighed.

"So…as a change of pace…where's the birthday girl?"

* * *

Case sat alone in one of the chairs in a quiet portion of the common room. She'd gotten an attack of nerves, that seemed to be getting worse as the night wore on.

"It's my freakin' birthday and I can't even enjoy it," Case grumbled, raising the beer bottle to her lips. Her fingers trembled around the glass, and she put the bottle down on the small end table.

"Talk to yourself often?"

Case looked up to see Sam standing there, "Sometimes…often just to fill silences though."

"What seems to be bothering you?" He asked, taking the empty seat beside her. "Your hands are shaking again."

Case gripped the bottle tighter, and took a drink, "Coming up on the one-year mark for the disaster that was my adamantium fusion…making me a little anxious."

"Year mark?" Sam asked.

"Yep…June nineteenth, two-thousand-thirteen," Case nodded. "It was just after two AM…and there was a metal-armed whack-a-doodle hiding in my closet."

Sam blinked, "A metal-armed whack-a-doodle?"

"With a mask," Case nodded. "Yep…he didn't close the door to the closet. It's how I realized someone was in the apartment with me, because apparently my sense of smell failed me. But it was inconsiderate if you ask me…I don't leave doors open. Haven't since I was a kid…except the bathroom door, when it's not in use of course. Otherwise all stay shut." At Sam's confused look, Case admitted, "Yeah, I don't get it either."

"And that's why you check your closet every time you go to your apartment?"

"I don't check it every time…that was just…" Case frowned in realization, "Never mind, I'll go into that later. Anyway…I want to tell more of our previous story."

"Now?"

"Why not?"

Sam motioned at the party going on behind them, "It's your birthday for starters."

"Yeah, but this is happier stuff…some of it kind of funny," Case told him. "Plus…beats worrying myself into an anxiety attack over stuff that isn't going to happen."

"Alright," Sam said, taking a drink from his beer bottle. "And what was the next part of the story?"

* * *

 _SMACK!_

"Ow! Dammit Case why'd you hit me?" Bucky yelped as Case's palm connected with the other side of his face. Now he'd been hit on both cheeks, and the second, if anything, hurt worse than the first.

"You just hit on Peggy Carter…and _now_ you want my attention?" Case demanded, folding her arms.

"No, I always wanted your attention," Bucky told her, moving his jaw back and forth.

"You have a funny way of showing it, Barnes," Case snapped.

"Hell, I tried to tell you before! You walked away!"

"What are you talking about?"

"In the medical tent? When I was talking about the girl I was interested in?" Bucky asked. "Does any of that ring a bell?"

"Wait…you were talking about _me_?"

"Who else would I have been talking about?" Bucky demanded. "Short…brown hair…blue eyes…have you _looked_ in a mirror lately?"

"Well I know what _I_ look like," Case shot back. "Just…"

"Just what?"

Case looked back down at her shoes, "Let's face it Buck…I'm one of the guys, plain and simple."

Bucky frowned at that, "Come again?"

"It's true," Case protested. She motioned at her dress, "How often do I actually get dolled up like this? Huh? I think the longest run I've had is this whole singer thing with Steve's show."

"And?"

"I've seen the girls you date buck," Case said. "Makeup and hair done just right…ready to paint the town red with their best guy."

"And I've seen you go out on a date too…face full of makeup…no curls though," Bucky admitted. "Usually by that point you're throwing the whole kit and kaboodle out of the bathroom door."

"They hurt too," Case grimaced, rubbing at the back of her head. She'd tried pin-curls, both Winifred Barnes and Sarah Rogers had tried teaching her to put them in her hair…Case, however, while she eventually mastered the technique, never had the patience for the whole thing. She'd get halfway done and get so frustrated she'd throw a handful of bobby pins into the air or usually out the door, yanking them out of her hair as she complained about them.

"And I know there's a few mooks back home in Brooklyn who can and will vehemently deny you're one of the guys," Bucky pointed out.

"And a few of those relationships ended because they saw me as a friend, not a lover," Case rolled her eyes, and she leaned back against the wall of the pub. "Wear makeup and be feminine…and yet _still_ one of the guys."

"Well they were idiots."

"Thanks Buck."

"Well they were…they had to be. You're an amazing woman, Case…and as far from manly as you can get."

Case shrugged, "Yeah I guess."

"Plus…who cares what they think anyhow," Bucky added. " _I_ think you're perfect just the way you are."

Case felt her cheeks flush, and she looked down at her shoes again, "Thanks…"

It grew quiet between them, and while Case still wasn't looking at him, she could hear Bucky shift from foot to foot. He finally cleared his throat, "And um…speaking of lovers…"

She finally looked up and cocked an eyebrow at him, "Yes?"

Bucky seemed hesitant, and rubbed at the back of his neck as he asked, "Uh…did any of them _become_ …you know…?"

Her cheeks getting darker, Case asked, "Really…?" At the sheepish look on his face, she grumbled out, "No…no they did not."

"So, wait…you're still a—"

"Yes, James," Case cut him off, "I am."

"But…not _one_?"

"Well as you pointed out, they were idiots," Case explained. "Plus…I kind of like Steve's philosophy…waiting for the right partner."

"Okay…" Bucky said, giving a small nod. He hesitated again before he asked his next question, "Am I the right—"

Case held up her hand for him to stop, and gave a friendly laugh as she said, "We'll have to see now, won't we?"

"Fair enough." Bucky then looked back toward the door, "So…we never did get to finish our dance…think you're relaxed enough to try again?"

Case looked at the backs of her hands, "I'd say so…I mean the claws are gone."

"Come on," Bucky said with a smile, holding out his hand. "Let's get back in there before they come searching."

Case took his hand, "Hopefully this time I won't stomp on your toes."

"For a dancer, that still doesn't make much sense."

"Again…I was nervous."

"You danced on stage for full crowds," Bucky said as they headed back inside. "Even if they were kids…kids are mean."

"Tell me about it."

"Plus…there's nothing you have to be nervous about," Bucky said, holding the door open for her. "It's just me."

* * *

"Proof the man still didn't realize how nervous he made me," Case finished.

"Why?" Sam asked. "If he was your friend, I would have thought there would have been a comfort level involved."

Case thought that one over, "To some extent there was…but I always saw Bucky as out of my league. He was handsome, athletic, charming…all the ladies loved him."

"And you saw yourself as one of the guys?" Sam asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"The term is 'tomboy'," Case pointed out. "I didn't have a lot of girlfriends, outside of Becca. I think Viola was my first _true_ friend that was a girl—"

"Are you boring Sam with more of your story, Howlett?" Tony's voice cut in.

Both looked up to see the billionaire with a drink in his hand, while Thor was coming up behind him, drink clutched in his own hand.

"This is a private conversation, Stark," Sam frowned at him.

"True, but this," He waved his arms around, showing off the crowded room behind him, and Thor had to step back to avoid getting smacked, "Is a party. A party for _her,_ " He pointed at Case, "And her twin brother…who is at least mingling with the other guests."

"Really? Last I saw he was hanging out at the bar with Viola," Case told him.

"Details," Tony shrugged with a wave of his hand. "Point being, your brother is mingling, you are hiding."

"Cut her some slack, it's been a rough year."

"All the more reason to drink and have a good time," Tony said, and finally acknowledged Thor's presence, "Am I right?" Before the Asgardian had time to respond, Tony continued, "Of course I am. Why don't you give our mutant friend here some of that Asgardian booze you've got in that little flask and show her a good time."

And with that he clapped Thor on the shoulder and sauntered off.

"He's just bitter because, like Steve, Ryder and I can't get drunk easily," Case rolled her eyes. "What's up Thor?"

"Actually, I was about to offer what Stark did," Thor admitted, "Since I know you have a higher tolerance for alcohol, and it being a special occasion, I thought I'd make the offer."

"I'm in," Case said. She took the glass Thor handed her and asked, "Anything I should be worried about?"

"It is a bit of a strong drink, you may want to take your time with it," Thor advised.

Case cocked her eyebrow and swirled the clear liquid in the glass, "Now I'm nervous."

"Nothing to be nervous about my friend," Thor smiled at her, "Drink, enjoy your birthday…tis a day of celebration!"

"Not your first drink of the evening either, eh?"

"Not in the slightest…although I daresay I have my wits about me more than Stark does," Thor chuckled.

Case smiled and took a tentative sip from the glass. She coughed a bit as the liquid burned as it went down, "Okay…that's uh…got a bit of a kick."

"Enjoy," Thor said and wandered away as well.

"How is it?" Sam asked as Case took a larger drink.

"Not as bad as—" She gave a small hiccup, "As I thought it would be." She put the drink down, "Anyway…where was I?"

"There she is!" Ryder's voice suddenly rang out. "Happy birthday! Haven't seen you in…when did we get here?"

Both Sam and Case watched as Ryder stumbled toward the chair, plopping down on the floor next to Case's knees. He leaned back against the chair and grinned stupidly at her, "Hi Shorty."

Case couldn't help but laugh, "And how many of Thor's Asgardian drinks have _you_ had this evening?"

"I think there were three," Steve answered for him, as he came up to them rolling his eyes. He shook his head at the other man, "That _I_ saw him drink. I think Viola said something about him finishing off one of Thor's flasks."

"It was _awesome_ ," Ryder whispered excitedly, scrunching his eyes shut as he grinned bigger.

Case gave him a pat on the head, "Alright big fella, we'll see if you're saying that in the morning."

Ryder just gave her another grin.

"Anyway…I was finishing off the story of the night Peggy came into the bar in the red dress," Case explained to Steve.

"Is that where we left the story?" Steve asked.

"Basically," Case agreed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ryder asked suddenly.

"Tell you what?"

"That you actually got with Bucky," Ryder explained. "Bucky was a good guy…and you liked him for years…why was it a secret?"

"Let's have that conversation when you're sober, huh?"

"Okay," Ryder nodded.

"Anyway…" Steve said, shaking his head at his friend.

* * *

"Significant improvement over before," Steve stated.

"Yeah," Ryder agreed as they both watched Case and Bucky move across the dance floor flawlessly. The mutant looked to his friend, "Who do you think broke first?"

"Hard to tell…maybe it was mutual?"

"What's the best way to ask?"

"Why don't you stop being idiots and let them come to you?" Viola asked behind them.

Both men jumped and turned to face her. "Viola—" Ryder began.

"No," Viola cut him off. "Case and Bucky are two adults…what goes on between them is their own business."

"Come on, you can't say you're not curious," Ryder said.

"I didn't say that," Viola frowned, "I just said it's their business. They don't have to tell if they don't want to."

"Yeah…but I mean…if they _are_ together…this changes everything!" Steve pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Ryder pointed out. "Things could very well stay the same, although they're…" He made a face, "Doing… _things_ …"

"Look alive boys, they're headed our way," Viola cut in, standing straighter.

Both Steve and Ryder fell silent as Bucky and Case walked over to them.

"So…did you two work out everything?" Viola asked.

Bucky and Case exchanged nervous smiles, before Bucky answered, "Yep…everything is good."

They waited a few beats, before Ryder asked, "Anything you'd like to share?"

A thoughtful crossed Bucky's face, "No, not really."

"Case?"

"Not a thing I can think of."

"Want a drink?" Bucky asked her.

"Absolutely."

As the two disappeared into the crowd, Ryder and Steve's jaws dropped open.

"Really?" Ryder asked.

"That's not fair!" Steve groaned.

Viola laughed, "Sorry boys, guess you'll just have to wait this one out." She tugged on Ryder's arm, "Now come on, Howlett…I'd like to dance sometime tonight as well."

* * *

"The alley _again_?" Case sighed as Bucky led her outside. "Didn't we do this already?"

"Well, in a way," Bucky grinned at her before pushing her against the wall. "But if we're not saying anything yet…gonna need to get creative about how we do things."

"Things like…?"

"Like this," Bucky responded with pressing another kiss to her lips.

Case couldn't help but giggle into his mouth, which made him give a small huff and pull back. "Sorry, sorry…I just feel like I'm back in high school, sneaking into the third-floor closet at lunch."

"Interesting comparison," Bucky admitted before he leaned back in. He pulled back just as quickly, and said, "Wait…who did you go to the third-floor closet with?"

"Bucky!"

"Right, sorry, not important," Bucky shook his head.

Case grabbed hold of the front of his uniform and yanked him closer so his lips where a hairsbreadth away from hers, "No more talking, Sergeant."

"Yes ma'am," Bucky smiled at her before he kissed her again.

Her arms wound around his neck again, and his wrapped around her sides, pulling her tight against his body. Case's heart raced as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, giving a small moan as his hands drifted up and down her back.

When the need for oxygen became too much they broke the kiss, instead simply resting their foreheads against each other, trying to catch their breath.

Bucky flashed her another smile, "I _am_ going to get to see you in that dress though, right?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Don't own 'em, except for Case and Ryder – they belong to me.**

* * *

 **June 19** **th** **, 2014**

Case woke with a gasp, her heart racing in her chest as the world came back to her. Her dream was nothing but an odd collection of fragments – Queen's "Hammer to Fall", frantically kissing Bucky…and her mother yelling her name.

The longer she was awake, she found that the lights hurt her eyes, and her head pounded, with a groan she said, "Fuck…"

"And she lives!" Steve called out from behind her.

Case buried her face in the couch cushion beneath her, hiding her sore eyes in the dark. "What…the fuck…happened?" She groaned.

"Keep it down," Ryder grumbled from beside her.

Case turned her head, so she rested her cheek on the cushion, "Why are you laying on the coffee table?"

"Don't know, don't care…be quiet," Ryder threw an arm over his face to shield his eyes, while swiping at her with his free arm. "Shhh…"

Case could hear Queen playing softly in the background, the same song from her dream. She gave another groan, and in a quieter voice asked, "What happened last night?"

"Ryder got plastered," Steve said, walking over to where the twins were. He placed a glass of water on the end table for her, then sat down on the floor so he was eye level. "After a bit you decided you wanted to join him…something about it being your birthday too and why was he the only one having fun."

Something about that rang familiar for Case, and she gave a small nod as she said, "Continue."

"So, you found Thor and proceeded to get drunk off your ass like your idiot brother over here," Steve finished, motioning to Ryder.

"Worth it," Ryder added, still with his arm over his face.

"How did we end up here?"

"Thor and I hauled you both up here after you both climbed onto the pool table and did a rather odd rendition of the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody'—"

" _I have checked on the lyrics, Captain Rogers,"_ Jarvis's voice cut in pleasantly, _"As it turns out, it was an accurate rendition of the Muppet version of the song."_

"Thanks Jarvis," Case said with a yawn. Propping herself up on her elbows, she grabbed the glass Steve placed on table and took a large drink, "God I haven't been this hung over in years…"

"Could be worse, you could be sharing a tent with Dum Dum," Ryder told her.

"Good morning Howletts!" Thor's booming voice called out from the elevator.

The twins gave identical groans, Case hiding her head under her arms and Ryder throwing the other arm over his face.

"Never do that again," Case grumbled at Ryder.

"I just wanted to see how our fellow warriors were fairing after their night of drink and frivolity," Thor announced, plopping down on the sofa next to Case…which caused the back of the couch to fall backward.

Both the mutant and the God of Thunder turned around to look at the object, before exchanging confused looks.

Steve spoke up, "Case caused it when she belly-flopped onto the couch last night. I leaned it back up against the rest, but I'd say it's a lost cause."

"Aww, dammit Case I liked that couch," Ryder groaned.

Case finally sat up, "Would you get off the freakin' coffee table already?"

"Hey, it's my coffee table," Ryder said. "And I find it rather comfortable if I do say so myself."

She finished the glass of water and placed it on the table and gave a loud yawn. "Definitely one of our better birthdays…at least I think."

"Remember our last birthday before we went on ice?" Ryder asked.

Case's chest gave a twinge at the memory, "Unfortunately."

"What happened?" Thor asked.

"It was our twenty-sixth birthday…" Ryder sat up, then cringed, "Nope…not happening yet…" He went back down on the table, covering his eyes again with his arms. "For our next mission we were meeting up with another platoon nearby for the next attack on Schmidt's bases."

"Turns out Hydra had a sniper waiting," Steve added, walking back from the kitchen with a new glass of water for Ryder along with a bendy straw.

When the mutant took the glass, he cracked an eye open at Steve and said, "Bless you sir."

Steve rolled his eyes, and sat back down, this time opting for the loveseat. "Didn't realize he was out there until he took his shot."

Thor looked concerned, "Did you lose any of your fellow warriors?"

"No, we think he was aiming for Steve," Ryder said, still in his flat position but using the straw to sip his water. "Case was the one that took the bullet."

"I remember a red mist…telling Steve he had something on his shirt…then I passed the fuck out," Case admitted. "First time I ever got shot…"

She let Ryder and Steve give Thor the details of the story as she folded her arms and rested her head on them, drifting into her own memory of that day.

* * *

 **June 19th, 1944**

Things started to come back in stages. Case felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest…it hurt to move, and breathing was difficult. She was trying to remember what happened…she could remember she'd stepped in front of Steve, then something red splattered across his chest…then darkness.

" _Case?"_ Bucky's voice sounded worried.

Case kept her eyes shut, "Leave me alone, Buck…I'm tryin' to sleep."

She could hear him chuckle, _"Sorry Cassidy, that's not an option right now."_

With a quiet groan she forced her eyes open. She was in a tent, laying on a bedroll – based on the smell in the air it was Bucky's, and this was the tent he was sharing with Steve. Bucky was kneeling beside her, the rest of the Commandos crowded in around her.

She eased up onto her elbows, taking in the sight of the team. "What happened?"

"You took a sniper shot to the chest," Dum Dum Dugan answered. "We think it was meant for the Captain…by sheer dumb luck you stepped in front of him."

Case pressed her hand over her chest, not feeling any bandages under the t-shirt she was currently wearing. "Are you sure, because I—"

"Cassidy…" Bucky cut her off. "They know."

"What are you talking about?"

"They _know_ ," Bucky said pointedly.

" _What_ do they know, James?"

Falsworth cleared his throat, "Why didn't you tell us that you and your brother were mutants? Does anyone else in the army know?"

 _Fuck…_ Case cringed, "Look…I can explain…"

"You can heal from a sniper shot," Dugan cut her off. "That's impressive."

"I…what?"

"Impressive," Falsworth repeated, "The shot should have killed you…it more than likely would've killed the Captain."

That shot a little bit of fear through her, and as she fought to stomp it into oblivion Case blinked at them in confusion, "You're…you're all okay with this?"

The men exchanged looks, before Dernier started on a tangent in French.

As she listened, Case felt the tension in her shoulders ease, and she gave him a friendly smile.

Dugan frowned, "What did he say?"

"We're angry they didn't tell us," Gabe translated. "But they're still our brother and sister in arms…that's not going to change."

"Although the next round is on the both of you," Morita said. "Rumor has it neither of you can get drunk."

"Challenge accepted sir," Case said, giving him a small salute as she relaxed back into the bedroll.

"We'll leave you to finish healing…your brother says you'll be good to go by morning," Dugan said, and the rest made their way out behind him. "Sergeant?"

"I'll be out in a minute," Bucky said, watching as Dugan disappeared through the tent flaps. Once he was sure they were alone, he grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it, leaning down to kiss her. "God Case…I thought I'd lost you."

Case sat up, reaching up to cup his cheek, before letting her hand drift into his messy hair, "I'm fine Buck. They haven't invented a bullet that can kill me yet."

"But…" He looked at her and Case could see tears in his eyes, "Case…there was so much blood…it sprayed over Steve's uniform and soaked through yours. If you didn't have…if you weren't…"

"But I am…and I do," Case told him, pulling him close for another kiss. She rested her forehead against his, "I'm not going anywhere Buck. I promise."

"I know," Bucky pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Ryder thought it was just the shock of an injury like that…you've never been shot before, so it took a lot out of you."

"Hurt like hell," Case admitted. She leaned back and rubbed at her chest with her free hand, "Still does, to be honest…I think Ryder's right though, I'll be right as rain tomorrow." She winced as she took a deep breath, "Speaking of…where is Hypno-Hands?"

Bucky cringed, "Receiving the dressing down of his life I'd expect…both him and Steve, actually."

Case cocked her head, "From who? I doubt Colonel Phillips would be reprimanding them…me sure, I was stupid enough to walk in front of a bullet, but—"

"It's not Colonel Phillips," Bucky cut in. "You know how we were meeting with one of the other platoons when you got hit?"

"Yeah, we were heading to meet the liaison," Case nodded. "But what does that have to do with Ryder?"

Bucky rubbed at the back of his neck, "Were you aware your dad re-enlisted?"

"No…last time I saw him was back in Brooklyn when I left with the USO," Case said. She frowned, "Oh God…my dad was the liaison?"

"Liaisons…" Bucky told her. "Your Uncle Victor was with him."

Case gave a loud groan and pulled the sheet over her head, "Can I just pretend the bullet _did_ kill me?"

"Come on, Case, it won't be that bad," Bucky told her.

"You've met my dad, James…do you really think this is going to be a happy chat?"

"No but I thought the lie would make you feel better at least," Bucky admitted.

Case threw the sheet off, "Might as well face it now…it'll be worse to wait."

"Well you might wanna wait a few more seconds—" Bucky began, but Case was already waving him off and heading for the tent opening, "Case, I'm not kidding, you need—"

The tent flaps shut behind her, and Bucky gave a sigh. Who knew…maybe nobody would notice…

" _Nice legs, Howlett!"_

" _They're what got me here, Dugan,"_ Case shot back before she got back inside the tent. "Where the hell are my pants, James?"

"I tried to warn you," Bucky said, pushing a knapsack toward her, "Your clothes were _covered_ in blood…even your pants got splattered."

Case gave a grumble as she dug in the bag for some clean trousers. "Coulda warned me ahead of time…"

"You didn't notice the draft?"

"You couldn't have tried harder to let me know?" Case asked as she shoved her legs into the pants.

"To be fair…the shirt covers almost everything…"

Case rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Where are my boots?"

Bucky shoved them over, "Seriously, how did you not notice—"

"I knew I was barefoot, I was trying to tough it out," Case snapped as she shoved her feet into her boots. "Come on."

Bucky blinked at her, "What?"

"Come with me."

"Uh no…I'm good right here, thanks."

Case cocked her head, cocking an eyebrow as she asked, "Are you afraid of my dad?"

"No of course not," Bucky said, folding his arms. The longer Case held his gaze, though, Bucky started squirming, "A little bit…yeah, I guess I am."

"Why?"

"His claws…"

"You're afraid of his claws?"

"Mostly what he's going to do with them if he finds out what we've done."

"We haven't done anything for him to want to kill you for," Case frowned at him.

"Do you remember the 'Nightmare' incident?" Bucky asked.

Case couldn't help the stupid grin that stretched across her face, "That was fun…" her smile curved into a frown, "Kinda feel bad lyin' to Steve though…"

"Would you have rather told him what we were doing?"

Case's cheeks turned red, "No…can't say that I would have…"

"Exactly…although, back to the original point—"

"Well, Buck…I've both brushed and gargled since that night," Case pointed out. "So, unless that's your opening greeting, I think we're going to be okay."

"You say that," Bucky said, "But I don't believe it."

* * *

"Case!"

Case opened her eyes, blinking for a few moments, "Sorry, must've dozed off."

"We were getting to the part with Dad…remember that?" Ryder asked.

"I remember waiting for him to tear us a new one…"

"Your father…he was also in battle?" Thor asked. "He is a warrior as well?"

"Several…he fought in quite a few wars before we came along," Case told him. "Revolutionary War…Civil War…World War One _and_ Two…"

"I think he fought in the ones after we went into the ice too," Ryder added.

"Where was he yesterday?"

"Last minute mission with the X-Men," Ryder explained. "Had a few choice words for his boss when he said he couldn't make it."

"Had a few choice words for all of us seventy years ago too," Steve added.

Ryder and Steve sat side by side on a log, neither looking at each other nor at the two men before them.

Logan Howlett paced back and forth, muttering to himself as he thought of what to say.

His brother, Victor Creed, leaned against a nearby tree, watching Logan pace. "For God's sake, Jimmy…if you're gonna yell at them just do it already."

"Yell?" Logan hissed at him. "Is that what you think I'm going to do?"

"They're adults," Victor pointed out. "Complete idiots, yes…with complete disregard for their own safety…you gotta admit the four of them together are nothing but trouble…where are the other two?"

"Bucky was keeping an eye on Case," Ryder told him.

"A fuckin' sniper," Logan shook his head. "You're both damn lucky…so damn lucky."

"What happened with the sniper?" Victor asked.

"We got him…took him out with my shield," Steve answered this time.

"Your men…how did they react?"

"So far they're pretty accepting. Pissed as hell that we didn't tell them sooner, but they gave their word that unless Ryder or Case give the go head they won't tell a soul about what they just saw."

"That's good at least…the less people that know the better."

"Yes sir," Both Ryder and Steve responded.

Logan took a breath, taking a deep breath before asking, "And Case?"

"She lost a lot of blood…collapsed after getting hit," Ryder explained. "But the bullet went straight through…kinda surprised Steve didn't take any damage from it himself…as she healed her body kind of rejected the fragments…they were shoved right out as the wound sealed itself."

"She's lucky."

"She's a Howlett," Victor pointed out. "Luck had nothing to do with it." Logan cast a glare his way, and Victor added, "They heal just like you, Jimmy. And I've seen you take a lot worse than a sniper's bullet."

The crunching of leaves preceded them as Bucky and Case came into the clearing. Before they could say a word, Logan pointed to the empty log next to Steve and Ryder, "Sit down." He pinched at his eyes as the two did as they were told.

"Jimmy—"

"Not now Victor," Logan hissed. He took a deep breath, "A few months ago…we caught word of this crazy man running around in a red, white, and blue suit, throwing around a shield. Saying he was 'America's New Hope' and whatnot."

"America's New Hope?" Bucky repeated while looking at Steve. He caught sight of Logan's glare, and he moved his eyes back to the ground, "Sorry sir."

"Rumors gave way to more information, him and his group that they were calling 'Howling Commandos'…" Logan continued, "Come to find out…you four are the ring leaders—"

"That's all him!" Ryder, Case, and Bucky said immediately.

"Thanks guys," Steve grumbled.

Logan's lip twitched, and he looked away for a few moments. He took a breath then looked back up at them, "What in God's name happened to you?"

All four gave a rendition of, "Joined the army."

"Sounds like classified information, Jimmy," Victor smirked.

"Right," Logan agreed.

"They're here of their own free will, sir," Steve told him. "They had every right to say no…but they're assets to my team and prove it time and time again."

Logan eyed him, "And you'll keep looking out for 'em?"

Case and Ryder exchanged annoyed eye rolls as Steve nodded, "Absolutely."

"Barnes?"

"Of course," Bucky frowned. "Wouldn't dream of doin' anything else."

"Alright then," Logan gave a brief nod. "Barnes…Rogers…dismissed."

They didn't need to be told twice, both men got to their feet, each with a mumbled, "Good luck."

When they were gone, Logan continued, "So…the Howling Commandos, huh?"

"Dad, do we really need protecting?" Ryder asked. "I think we've proven we can take care of ourselves."

Logan's brows rose, "Your sister just took a bullet to the chest, you want to re-think that question?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Case asked. "I'm still breathing."

"How are you feeling?"

Case rubbed at her chest, "Sore as hell…nothing I can't handle."

Logan breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank God…"

"Can we even be killed?" Ryder asked. "I mean…she stabbed me when we were five…"

"Don't forget the mugger when you were sixteen."

"That too…plus you just took the shot."

"Pretty sure we can't die."

"Enough!"

Both frowned and turned toward Logan, who scrubbed a hand over his face. "Just because you can heal doesn't mean you can't die, do you understand? You can't look at it that way!"

"Why not?" Case asked.

"Because what if one day it fails?" Logan asked. "What if you find something you can't heal from?"

"Look, we'll be more careful," Ryder cut in. "As careful as we can be around here that is…" He nudged his twin, "Won't we Cassidy?"

Case rolled her eyes, "Of course."

Logan eyed the two of them, "You better…that's all I've got to say. Now…we've gotta go check in with Steve…we're here to work with him and the team after all."

After the two had left the clearing, Ryder turned toward Case and asked, "'Why not'?"

Case shrugged, "It's a fair question…we're designed to heal any injury, remember?"

"Yeah," Ryder rolled his eyes, "I still get the occasional twinge from where you stabbed me years ago."

"Hey, I apologized…didn't know about the claws back then," Case pointed out.

"Look…Dad's worried, maybe you can't tell, but I could," Ryder pointed out. "Not to mention that damn sniper. Happy Birthday Ryder now watch your sister bleed to death."

Case rubbed at her chest again, "But I—"

"I know," Ryder cut her off. "Case…you took the hit and dropped like a stone. The way you were bleeding I thought…"

A tense silence filled the clearing, neither twin making eye contact.

Case licked at her lips before saying in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I know."

"And it wouldn't have been your fault," Case added. When Ryder frowned at her, she rolled her eyes, "Please, Ryder, I _know_ you…I'm here of my own free will. Any bullets, bumps or bruises I take…it's all on me, pal."

"I know…but…" Ryder sighed, "You're my sister…I'm supposed to look out for you."

"And that's fine…just only take the blame if it's really your fault," Case told him. "A sniper though? Not your fault by a long shot."

"Still—"

"Not your fault," Case cut him off. "Like I told Bucky…I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"Seventy years and we still drive each other nuts," Case said with a small smile.

"Of course, we do…we're twins," Ryder chuckled, finally able to sit up. "Designed to heal…and designed to drive each other crazy until the end of time…which I will reach first."

"How do you figure?" Thor asked in confusion.

"I'm twenty-five minutes older…any age we reach I'll get to it first," Ryder smirked. He gave a grunt as Case punched him in the arm, then clutched at his head as his whole body jerked from the impact. "God that hurts…"

"Happy ninety-sixth, Hypno-Hands," Case smirked back at him.

Ryder gave a weak smile, "Happy ninety-sixth, Shorty."


	13. Chapter 13

**Trying to move the story forward a bit more - this chapter is also set during the Howling Commandos montage, before and after the sniper scene in the last chapter. Not sure how this chapter turned out - I've had severe writer's block on this part of the story. Constructive criticism is appreciated.**

 **Still don't own 'em, except for Case and Ryder.**

* * *

 **November 1943**

Case gave a hum of pleasure as she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck.

Bucky took the cue and pressed one last kiss to her mouth as he worked his way down, kissing at the soft skin of her throat, working his way up and down from her chin to the collar of her uniform.

They were laying on the cot in the room Bucky and Steve shared in the men's barracks. Case had been assigned a room of her own with the rest of the Women's Army Corps, but after meeting her assigned roommate she grabbed her things and marched herself to Bucky's door…and had wasted no time pulling him in for a kiss. They'd made their way to the cot with Case on her back and Bucky on top, their lips never far from each other.

Logically speaking she knew she couldn't stay in the barracks with Bucky and Steve, or even Ryder and whoever he'd been paired with…but she'd take any chance to avoid that wretched woman they'd paired her up with.

She gave a groan of annoyance when Bucky pulled away from her neck and propped himself up on his elbows. Case gave a huff and looked up at him, "What the hell, Buck? I was using those!" she gave a jerk of her chin toward his mouth.

Bucky's lips curled up in a crooked grin, "Actually, I think _I_ was the only one using them…your lips were nowhere near mine at the time."

Case rolled her eyes, "Fine, mine weren't doing anything…now can you please return to what you were doing?"

"So impatient."

"Yes, and?"

"I want to know why you'd rather stay here with a bunch of guys," Bucky pointed out. "I mean, think about it, just the smell alone might kill you. You've complained about the smell of mine and Steve's apartment in the past…and these guys aren't the cleanest men in the world, take it from me."

"Really? You wanna do this now?" Case groaned.

"Hey, the sooner you tell me, the sooner I can get back to what I was doing before," Bucky pointed out. "Maybe even more," He added with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Case felt her cheeks go red, "Uh…maybe take it a little slower than that, huh?"

Bucky gave a small chuckle and said, "You're really adorable when you blush, you know that?"

"Thanks Buck," Case mumbled as her face went even darker.

"Now come on, out with it," Bucky said, "How bad was she, really?"

Case rolled her eyes and sat up, "She couldn't fathom why a hero like Captain America would want a chorus girl to tag along with the rest of his team."

Bucky's smile turned to a frown, "But you helped Steve—"

"Yeah, but he'd have saved you all with or without my help," Case admitted. "I have no formal training…where as women like her do. She didn't understand why he'd pick a chorus girl over one of the members of the WAC." She gave a scowl, "It was bad enough listening to the Colonel call Steve a chorus girl…and I figured I'd have to deal with things like that from the rest of the men…but the women too?"

"I'm sorry, Case."

Case gave a huff, "Doesn't matter…Steve's not trading me in for a better trained model, so I'm not too worried."

"But it still bothers you."

Case gave a shrug, "She doesn't know me Buck. She took one look at me and went off."

"Ah the joys of being famous," Bucky smirked. "Your reputation as the Star-Spangled Singer preceded you."

Case scowled at him then poked him in the side. Bucky gave a jerk and frowned at her, opting to poke her in the stomach. With a yelp Case tucked her legs in and pinched at Bucky's ribs.

After a yelp of his own, Bucky smirked at her, "You asked for it Howlett."

When the door opened they were both on the floor, Bucky had Case pinned on her stomach with her arms above her head, fingers frozen where they were digging into her side.

Both were out of breath from laughing when they looked at their visitor, "Hey Steve."

Steve cocked an eyebrow at them both, "Do I even want to know?"

Case craned her head to look at Bucky, then they both shook their heads, "No, not really."

Steve shook his head and gave a sigh as he plopped down on his cot, "Peggy hates me."

Bucky and Case both got off the floor to sit on the cot across from him. Case cocked her head at him, "What do you mean, she hates you?"

"From what we could see she only had eyes for you, pal," Bucky reminded him.

"She just shot at me," Steve said, pulling his pillow over his face, "Multiple times."

Bucky and Case exchanged shocked looks, before turning back to him, "What the hell happened?"

"I went for that meeting with Howard," Steve began. "As I was waiting…there was a blonde woman…she said she was thanking me on behalf of the women of America…then she kissed me!"

"And the problem lies…where?" Bucky asked. He looked at Case who rolled her eyes at him.

"Peggy walked up and caught us," Steve added.

"I see," Case said. Bucky frowned at her in confusion, and Case shot him a look that said, _'Really? You don't get it?'_ To Steve she asked, "What did you say to her?"

"That it wasn't what it looked like," Steve admitted.

Bucky gave a groan and face-palmed, "Wrong answer."

"You're telling me," Steve groaned. After a few moments he yanked his pillow off his face and sat up, "Say, Case, you're a woman—"

"Very astute observation Steven," Case gave a nod.

"Can you talk to Peggy for me?" Steve asked, "Tell her it was all a misunderstanding—"

"Why don't _you_ tell her that?" Case asked him.

Steve frowned, and said, "I uh…kinda messed up."

"You mean the story gets worse?"

"I asked her if she and Stark… _fondue_ ," Steve explained.

Now it was Case who face-palmed, "Steve…fondue is just—"

"Cheese and bread, Howard explained that," Steve told her. "Along with something about a goose being cooked if I think I understand what's going on inside a woman's head—"

"Stop!" Case snapped. Steve's mouth shut with a clack, and she held up a finger, "One… _never_ take advice from Howard Stark when it comes to women."

"He says he just concentrates on work—"

"He asked Carter out on a date in front of you before we dropped," Case told him. "Despite fondue being cheese and bread, I don't think you were entirely wrong about what he had in mind for that night."

"So then—"

" _Then_ that brings us to number two. Just because he asked her for fondue doesn't mean Carter was interested, you meatball!" Case cut him off. "Steve…she walked in to the pub and only had eyes for _you._ "

"Now she thinks I'm like the others," Steve said.

"Well, what did you expect? Hell, how did you feel when you thought she was fooling around with Stark?"

"Fair enough."

"You owe her an apology, and an explanation," Case concluded.

"I don't think she'd be very receptive to that…I mean when I tried telling her it wasn't what it looked like, and she brushed it off," Steve explained. "Said she wasn't thinking anything—"

"Meaning you royally pissed her off," Bucky pointed out. He rubbed at his cheeks, "Didn't think dames would resort to shooting at us—"

"Are those handprints on your face?" Steve asked. He looked at Case, "Why'd you slap him twice?"

"Why do you assume it was me?" Case asked with a frown.

"Because you smacked him the first time."

Case rolled her eyes, "Look…Carter's going to be pissed off. She liked you and she caught you acting like a common sleaze ball. So…give her some time to cool off, then you'll have to figure out a way to show her you care."

"Are you sure you can't—"

"Not getting in the middle of this, Steve."

* * *

"I'm not getting on that, Steve!"

They were standing in the courtyard area outside of the barracks as they prepared to take off for the first Hydra base. Steve made sure his pistol was loaded before he shoved it into the holster attached to his belt. He tapped the handlebars of his motorcycle, "What's wrong with it?"

"What's wrong with it?" Case repeated in a high-pitched voice. "Where do I begin?"

Steve stared at her expectantly, "Everyone else is comfortable on the motorcycles."

"Well they're all idiots."

"What's the big deal?" Steve asked with a frown. "It's no different than riding in one of the jeeps—"

"Jeeps run on four wheels Steven!"

"And?"

"Case is afraid of motorcycles," Ryder called out.

Case scowled at her brother as he and Bucky walked up to them. "I am not scared of them!" She chewed on her lip, "They just…they go too fast. They're on two wheels…one mistake and it's lights out."

"Except you both have superior healing so nothing bad would happen," Bucky pointed out.

"We'll teach you how to ride," Ryder added. "It's not so scary when you get on one…I'll bet you start to enjoy it."

"No."

"Come on, Case, all the other guys are willing to ride them," Steve pointed out.

"It didn't work the first time you said it, and you killed the argument this time around."

"Well you can ride me until you get comfortable on one," Bucky offered. Each one gave him an odd look, and Bucky realized what he'd said. "With me!" he corrected quickly, "You can ride _with_ me until you get comfortable!"

Steve gave a snort and made it a point of attaching the newly painted shield to his back. Case simply shook her head and face-palmed.

"Nice save," Ryder rolled his eyes, then clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to kick your ass for that later…but nice save."

Bucky scowled at him, "Shut up."

"And as _tempting_ as both offers were," Case said as she removed her hand from her face, "You won't catch me on one of those screaming metal death traps!"

* * *

"Say what?" Sam asked, shocked.

It was just the two of them this time – they were sitting in a diner a few blocks away from the Avenger's Tower, just sitting down with cups of coffee to start.

Snow was falling outside – June had come and gone, and they'd spent the better part of the last six months searching for Bucky between missions with the Avengers. Now it was December – Tony had strict orders they were all to report to the Avenger's Tower for Christmas, using an argument about not wanting a repeat of last year.

And after the fiasco Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper had gone through the previous Christmas with AIM and The Mandarin, Case couldn't blame him in the slightest.

Getting back to the present, the mutant calmly sipped her coffee and asked Sam, "What?"

"One, you refer to your motorcycle as your baby," Sam began. "Two…isn't there a compilation video on YouTube on your most death-defying stunts? Half of which involve your bike?"

Case shifted in her seat, "Actually…there's four."

"Four…" Sam repeated. "And yet during World War Two you were afraid of getting on a motorcycle."

"They were scary at the time," Case admitted. "But…I survived being thrown into a wall at full speed by a tidal wave of frigid water from the Arctic as Steve crashed a plane into the ice…what's a little crash from a motorcycle?"

"That's…an odd perspective."

Case gave a shrug and continued with her story.

* * *

"Peggy still hasn't written," Steve gave a sigh from his bedroll.

Months had passed since the "Private Lorraine Incident" – Steve had written to Peggy when he could, but so far, no response had been sent in return. They were hitting base after base, there was no way of Steve and Peggy crossing paths to speak face to face.

Case looked at her hand of cards, seated on a bedroll across from Bucky, "Maybe she's busy, Steve…"

"Or you could try doing something else to show her you care," Bucky added, discarding two of the cards from his hand.

Steve gave another sigh, "I'm open to suggestions."

"Maybe show her your compass?" Case suggested, putting down her cards.

"My compass?" Steve asked.

"Yeah…you have her picture in it, right?" Case asked. When Steve nodded, Case continued, "So…what if you show her she's in your compass?"

Steve mulled that one over, "It might work…"

"Please, dames eat that up," Bucky pointed out. When he saw Case roll her eyes at him, he frowned, "Isn't that why you suggested it?"

Case scowled at him, "Way to cheapen it James."

"I'm just saying Cassidy…ow!" Bucky yelped when Case kicked him in the shoulder.

"Would _you_ have thought of that?"

"What would I need to do that for?" Bucky asked.

Case's shoulders slumped, "Guess you wouldn't."

Bucky frowned, "Case…"

Case kept her gaze on her cards, "Still would make a good point that she's the one you want, Steve."

"Erm…when they shoot those newsreels…I can show off my compass then…"

"There you go."

Steve suddenly smiled, "Alright…I'll make sure that happens."

"Good…now…aren't you supposed to be on watch tonight?" Bucky then asked.

Steve's eyes widened, "Right…sorry…I'll get right on that!"

As Steve scrambled out of the tent, Bucky chuckled and went back to his hand, "Dum Dum's not gonna be happy he's late."

"Probably not."

Bucky looked up and noticed the hurt look on Case's face, and he sighed, "Case, I didn't mean it like that—"

"Don't worry about it, James," Case said abruptly, before going back to her hand of cards.

"No, I mean it," Bucky said. He crawled over to her and pushed her backward, so her head landed against the pillow. He leaned over her, so he could look her in the eye, "Case…you're right here. In flesh and blood…I see you every day."

"But what if I wasn't?"

"Then I'd ask Steve for a drawing of you," Bucky answered.

"And if Steve wasn't around?"

"Then I'd still be with Hydra." He gave a grunt as the wind left him when Case kneed him in the stomach, and he wheezed, "Yeah…that one crossed a line."

"You think?" Case asked, sliding out from underneath him as she sat on Steve's bedroll. "They told us you were _dead_ , Buck."

"They made a mistake…or they jumped the gun," Bucky pointed out. "I'm right here!"

"I'm well aware of that, James!" Case snapped. She rubbed at her eyes, " _Well_ aware."

"Then what's the problem?" Bucky asked. "I mean…I was just supposed to just move on from when you got shot…and that was worse!"

"How do you figure?"

"I had to watch you fall," Bucky told her. "I could _see_ you bleeding out…and not do a damn thing to stop it!" He looked down at the cards that were somehow still in his hand, and fanned them out again as he said, "You only saw the end of Azzano…you didn't witness the whole thing."

"Bucky—"

"Just forget it Cassidy," Bucky snapped, not meeting her gaze. "I don't want to talk about it, and you're the last person I'd want to tell it to." He froze when he realized what had come out of his mouth, and he looked up at Case, "Fuck…Case, that's not what I meant—"

"Yeah…you seem to be saying a lot of stuff you don't mean," Case frowned at him. She got to her feet, "On that note…I think I'm just gonna go get some shut eye."

"Case…come on, don't leave—"

"Good _night_ , James."

* * *

"I don't think he meant it to be hurtful," Sam pointed out.

"I know he didn't," Case admitted in a quiet voice.

Their food had arrived – Case's pancakes and sourdough toast were going cold, she hadn't touched a thing. She had her fingers around her coffee mug and tapped them on occasion.

"All couples fight from time to time."

"I wouldn't have called us a couple, Sam…then or now," Case said. She gave a small smile as she said, "Although, after Steve did his little show with the compass Bucky asked me if I had my showgirl dress in my footlocker. He was still really excited at the idea of seeing me in it."

"You kept it?"

"Yep," Case said with a nod. "I think I still have it somewhere, actually. Luckily our belongings went to our Dad when we crashed. So, none of it was donated to the historical societies, unlike Steve and Bucky's stuff."

"Did he ever get to see you in the dress?" Sam asked, "Bucky I mean."

Case frowned, "No…that newsreel kinda…it was in January of nineteen forty-five."

Sam noticed Case's demeanor change, and he sighed, "Right before the train mission."

Case nodded, opting to stare at her coffee mug.

"So…just so we're on the same page," Sam began to recap. "You and Bucky were—"

"Fooling around."

"Fooling around…and you didn't tell Steve or Ryder, just kept it to yourselves."

"That's right."

"And you were fighting a lot toward the end?"

Case sighed, "The last thing I did with him was fight…never got to resolve it."

"What happened?"

Case gave a huff, "Let's just say Ryder was right about me…I _am_ a bigger dope than Steve when it comes to romance."


	14. Chapter 14

**So here it is, Chapter Fourteen…and the path to the train mission. Our heroine takes a few wrong turns here, I think – it was what I was going for, anyway, and looking at the situation in a hind-sight is twenty-twenty kind of scenario.**

 **Again, constructive criticism is appreciated.**

* * *

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Sam frowned at her.

"You'd think, wouldn't you?" Case asked.

"Like I said…couples fight—"

"That's just it!" Case cut him off. "We weren't really a couple…we were friends with semi-benefits."

"Semi benefits?" Sam frowned.

"We only had sex once," Case told him. "Not to say we didn't do anything physical…but…"

Sam watched as Case started chewing on her lip again and her cheeks started going red as she seemed unable to complete the sentence. "Case relax, you don't have to go into too many details if you don't want to."

Case gave a small sigh of relief and her shoulders relaxed as she said, "And that's where I lost my first therapist. Because I wouldn't go into details of my love life she assumed I was sexually repressed, or something bogus like that."

"What?" Sam asked.

"That was my reaction," Case agreed. "Look, I may overshare on many occasions…but it's not the shrink's business where Bucky put his hands or when…at least not in our first two sessions." She motioned at Sam, "You and I are friends…and if I've crossed a line during this at any time I'm sorry…but a total stranger? Not happening." She relaxed into her seat, "Plus you're giving me the option to gloss over those details…also a plus."

"How many therapists have you seen?"

"You make five."

"Five?" Sam asked in shock.

"Four technically," Case pointed out. "The first…well, I already told you. Numbers two and three thought I was suicidal, and number four basically told me I was subconsciously blocking out the memories from the adamantium fusion."

"Suicidal?" Sam repeated with a frown.

"I'm not, by the way," Case told him. "I never had any thoughts of ending my life, now or back then."

"What gave them the impression that you did?"

"I'll get to that when we reach that part," Case assured him. "But…on to the next part of the story…"

* * *

The tent was large, like the camp set up when this whole adventure began with Steve going after the 107th at Azzano. There was a table filled with papers, and a few books on one side. On the other side of the tent were two cots sitting side by side.

That's where Case found Bucky, stretched across his cot with his fingers laced behind his head.

"You're a bit late tonight, aren't you?" He asked, sitting up and placing his feet on the ground.

Case shrugged, "Yeah, uh…something got Dernier in a twist, and Dum Dum and Morita needed a translator."

"What was it?"

"I…" Case frowned. She thought hard, "I…I really don't remember. It was something stupid…a girl was involved, that much I know…"

"Sounds about right," Bucky chuckled. He got to his feet, "So…have you heard the rumors?"

"About Steve and Peggy? There's a pool going around on when Steve's finally gonna make a move," Case told him.

"No, not that," Bucky shook his head, then frowned thoughtfully, "Really? How much?"

"Buy in's twenty bucks," Case explained. "We go by months…most are locked in except for May and September."

"Hmm…I'll have to get back to you on that."

"Your loss," Case said with a shrug.

"Anyway…what I meant was Steve says they have a lead on Zola," Bucky explained. "We're waiting on a confirmation for when he's on the move, then we'll go in to nab him."

"Great…" Case said, walking over to the table that doubled as a makeshift desk. Maps and diagrams littered the desk, as well as a few of Steve's sketches.

"You alright?"

Case was chewing on her lip, then pressed her lips together to stop. They were already chapped, she didn't need to exacerbate the problem. Even with her advanced healing they constantly remained chapped and split easily.

"Hey," Bucky was suddenly behind her, and she jumped when he put his hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up at him, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Case shrugged him off. "Just…the idea of Zola…" She shivered, "Look, it's nothing, I'll be fine. I need to talk to Ryder about something—"

"Case," Bucky interrupted her. "Do you think I'm blind or just that dumb?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking you to _talk_ to me."

"About what?"

Bucky scrubbed a hand over his face, "Okay…let's start with why you're chewing your lips into oblivion over Zola."

"I'm not," Case said, wincing as she started chewing on them again.

"You don't have to be afraid of him—"

"Please, I'm not afraid of the ugly little troll," Case scowled as she folded her arms.

Bucky cocked his head at her, "Actually, I think he's taller than you."

"Oh God, really?" Case moaned. She sighed, "Still…I'm not afraid of him."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Case gazed at him for a moment, then averted her gaze, "Flying and motorcycles for the most part."

Bucky gave a groan and plopped down on his cot, "Dammit Cassidy…"

Case rolled her eyes at him, "And what are _you_ afraid of James?"

"We're not talking about me, we're talking about you!" Bucky snapped.

"Well I don't want to talk about me!" Case snapped back. "I don't want to talk about me, about how I'm feeling, about what I'm afraid of…" She sat down on the cot next to him and buried her face in her hands, giving a loud sigh. She lowered her hands and draped her arms across her legs. "I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

Case gave him a look like he was crazy, "I can't fall apart, Buck. I have to be strong…to prove I belong here."

"Case…you know you don't have to prove anything…at least not to me."

Case gave a nod, "Yeah, I know."

"You don't sound like you believe it though."

Case just gave a sigh and a shrug, otherwise said nothing.

With a sigh of his own Bucky wrapped his arm around her, hugging her to his chest. He wrapped his other arm around her to rub her back, holding her close as he pressed a kiss into her hair. He ran his hand up into the dark brown strands, frowning at the hastily cut off locks, "You know, Case—"

"No cracks about my hair," Case groaned, "Not today."

In a fit of frustration, Case had stolen Dum Dum's knife one morning and hacked her hair off just below her ears…or at least she'd done the best she could. Steve had to take a pair of scissors and try to even out the back for her – he hadn't done a bad job, but Case still cringed each time she looked in the mirror.

"I'm just saying…we could've taken care of it for you, you didn't need to use a knife—" he ended with a yelp as Case dug her fingers into his side. He grabbed hold of her hand pulled it to his face instead, brushing his lips over her knuckles.

Case sat up and rolled her eyes at him, scowling as she ran her free fingers through her hair and got snagged in a few tangles, "Damn rats' nest…even shorter hair requires more maintenance."

"You could cut it like mine," Bucky pointed out.

"Not on your life," Case rolled her eyes. "I may feel the need to be one of the guys to fit in…but I sure as hell don't wanna look like one."

"Thank god for that," Bucky chuckled.

* * *

"Why'd you hack off your hair with a knife?"

"It was getting long…and it was getting in the way, I kept having to tie it back," Case shrugged.

"Yeah…but why a knife?"

Case thought that one over, "Desperate times call for desperate measures…I saw Dugan's knife and—" she bunched her hair up in her hand and mimed taking a knife to it. "He was pissed though…bitched at me for two days straight because I took his knife."

"I see."

"Yeah," Case said, then she grew quiet again.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and when the waitress came and left with the request for more coffee, Case finally spoke up again.

"I was afraid of losing him."

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Case continued.

"At the thought of Zola being anywhere near him…part of it was fear, the other part pure unadulterated fury. That man _hurt_ Bucky…used him for a science experiment and then left him there like a piece of garbage while he ran off with Schmidt to save his own ass!" She let go of the mug and squeezed her hands together, rubbing her thumbs over the backs of her hands.

Sam saw the blades shifting under her skin, "Did you tell any of this to Bucky?"

Case shook her head, and growled out, "No."

"Why the hell not?" Sam demanded.

"I was afraid," Case said. "Because I didn't see what was right in front of me…I didn't see that anything had changed."

"Well of course things changed, it was a war zone—"

"Well yes, that's true," Case agreed. "But what I mean is Bucky wasn't really a sharing and caring kind of guy. Didn't really have a lot of long-term relationships…so when we started our thing…"

When Case started chewing on her lip, Sam realized, "You thought the same thing was going to happen with you."

Case slowly nodded, "Didn't realize Bucky would make that kind of effort for me…I don't know why, and I still don't understand why. I just…"

When she didn't continue, Sam prompted, "Just…?"

"I just wish I had realized it sooner that he was," Case sighed, "Looking back on it…we spent too much time just screwing around without talking, I had my head shoved firmly up my…well, you get the idea there, and just with the strain of the war…the whole thing was a bomb waiting to detonate. Just needed that last spark to light the fuse." Her eyes went back to the coffee mug, "I was too wrapped up in my own insecurities…I couldn't see anything else."

"What did you do?"

Case's cheeks started turning red, "I kissed him…which led to a full-on make out session…which led to us hitting the sheets."

"And judging by the way your face is comparable to a tomato, I'd say you had a good time with that last part," Sam said with a chuckle.

"Oh, it _was_ good," Case agreed. "Amazing, actually…"

Sam cocked his head at her, "So then how did you go from amazing sex to…detonation?"

Case gave a sigh of regret, "I lit the match."

* * *

Case collapsed on Bucky's chest, trying to catch her breath as she listened to his heart race. "What did we just do?"

Bucky raised his eyebrows as he looked at her, "I know you've never done that before, but I'd have figured you'd know what that _was_."

"Shut up, you know what I mean," Case rolled her eyes.

"Well…we started off talking…then kissing…then clothes were flying," Bucky frowned thoughtfully.

"Right…that…" Case sighed. She cursed under her breath and sat up, getting out of bed and staring the hunt for her discarded clothes.

"Case…what the hell?" Bucky asked, sitting up himself as she started pulling on the gathered garments.

"What are we?" Case asked, shoving her legs through her pants, "All we've been doing is kissing and flirting and basically dancing around any topic of if we're still friends or if we're something more. And if we're nothing more than friends still…I'd rather know now than wait for it to blow up in our faces."

"Okay…" Bucky mumbled under his breath, then in a louder voice asked, "Then what do you want from me, Cassidy?"

"What do you mean?"

Bucky raked his hands through his hair and gave a hiss in frustration before he asked, "I mean… _do_ you want a committed relationship? A ring or something?"

Case gave a snort, and finished buttoning her shirt as she said, "If I thought you were capable of that kind of a commitment I'd have told you how I felt a long time ago."

Bucky's mouth formed a thin line as his eyes hardened into a glare. "I see."

"Shit…Bucky, that's not what I meant, I just—"

"Hey Buck, you in here?"

Case's mouth closed with a snap as Steve walked in, dressed in his Captain America uniform, "We finally got a confirmation on…" He trailed off as he looked from Bucky on the cot to Case. "Did…am I interrupting something?"

Case rolled her eyes, "Just continue."

Again, Steve's gaze went from Case to Bucky, then he asked, "Are you _naked?_ "

"What the hell do you want, Steve?" Bucky snapped, pulling the sheet higher toward his chest.

"Don't yell at Steve!"

"If you don't like it you can leave!"

"Enough!" Steve shouted, getting their attention. When both turned to face him, he cleared his throat, "Thank you…as I was saying, we finally got the confirmation on Zola's location. I need you both ready to move in ten minutes."

As the tent flaps closed behind him, Bucky left the cot, grabbing his discarded clothing.

"You heard the Captain."

Case frowned at him, "C'mon, Buck, I think we should at least—"

"Ten minutes Howlett," Bucky said shortly, keeping his back to her as he tugged his shirt over his head.

* * *

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

"That's uh…"

"I know."

"And you just…walked away?" Sam asked, shocked.

Case nodded, "Twice."

"What do you mean, twice?"

* * *

The air was significantly colder at the higher elevation. Snow covered the black colored rock and more of it drifted in the chilled wind that was blowing. The Howling Commandos were perched on said high cliff, waiting on the train that was potentially carrying Doctor Zola before they made their move.

Falsworth had his binoculars glued to his face, keeping watch for the train.

Gabe and Morita were attached to the radio, monitoring all transmissions from the train.

Bucky was standing on his own, near the edge of the group, gazing out at the ravine.

Case walked over to join him, remaining quiet for a few moments before she said in a low voice, "That's a…uh…very _long_ way down…"

"Yes, it is," Bucky said simply as he matched her volume, eyes still glaring at the ravine as he folded his arms across his chest.

When he didn't continue, Case added, "You ever wonder how those things are created? Like was it some big quake that caused it or do you think it was naturally there or—"

"Do you really think _now_ is the best time for this conversation?" Bucky asked, finally turning his angry gaze toward her.

Case gave an awkward shrug, "Conversation about how a ravine was formed?"

Bucky then pinched at the bridge of his nose, "Right…of course."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Case snapped.

"It means right now I really don't have anything to say to you," Bucky said in exasperation. "Everything's out on the table and you chose to avoid it…and throw it back on me at the same time. So, there's not much left to say on the subject."

"But Bucky, I—"

"Case…just leave me alone, alright?" Bucky snapped.

Case's mouth closed with a snap, and felt tears welling in her eyes. Despite that fact she straightened her back and squared her shoulders, and in a rough voice said, "Sorry to have bothered you, Sergeant."

Then she about-faced and walked over to where Ryder was leaning against the mountainside. She mimicked his position, folding her arms and pressing her back against the cold rock.

"Trouble in paradise?" Ryder asked as Bucky stormed past them to join Steve at his perch.

Case's jaw clenched, "Its fine…it'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

Case didn't respond, just took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"By the way," Ryder's voice got even quieter. "Any particular reason I can smell the two of you all over each other?"

"Nothing I feel comfortable sharing with the general public at this time," Case answered.

It grew quiet again, except for the radio transmissions.

"Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" Bucky suddenly asked Steve.

Both were gazing down at the tracks below, and Steve asked, "Yeah, and I threw up?"

"This isn't payback, is it?"

"Now why would I do that?" Steve asked innocently.

"We were right, Doctor Zola's on that train," Gabe announced. "Hydra dispatcher gave him permission to open up the throttle…wherever he's going they must need him bad."

Steve and Bucky exchanged looks, before Steve shoved his helmet over his head.

The others grabbed their zipline equipment, and Falsworth said, "Then let's get going because they're moving like the devil."

Steve got into position first, and called out, "We only got about a ten-second window! You miss that window…we're bugs on a windshield!"

"Mind the gap," Falsworth smirked.

"Better get moving, bugs!" Dum Dum called out.

Steve waited for the go ahead from Dernier, then leapt off, shooting down the line toward the oncoming train.

Bucky followed, with Gabe right behind him. Ryder and Case followed soon after.


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm sorry about the delay…I've had a severe case of writer's block on this story. Each time I tried writing I ended up taking it all the way back to the drawing board. Here's chapter 15, I will get to work on chapter 16 ASAP.**

* * *

 **January 1945**

" _Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all clear. Your attention please! All citizens shall remain indoors until further notice. Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all clear."_

Despite the Blackout still in place, Peggy Carter made her way into the bombed-out Whip & Fiddle pub, where she found Steve Rogers as well as Ryder and Case Howlett seated around a table in the dim light.

Steve caught sight of her first and wiped at his nose with a sniffle as he reached for a bottle on the table, saying, "Doctor Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing which means…uh…I can't get drunk." He kept his eyes on his glass before he asked her, "Did you know that?"

Peggy pulled over a stool and sat down beside Steve as she replied, "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person…he thought it could be one of the side effects."

"Welcome to the club Steve…meetings are Fridays at four PM," Ryder said, rather than following Steve's example and pouring the liquor into a glass he took a swig from a rather large glass bottle.

"Eastern Standard Time," Case added, taking a large drink out of a bottle of her own.

Peggy looked at each of them for a moment, then said to Steve, "It wasn't your fault."

"Did you read the report?" Steve asked still not looking at her.

"Yes," Peggy nodded.

"Then you know that's not true."

Peggy looked at Case and Ryder, "Do you believe it's his fault?"

Ryder took a large drink out of his bottle, "I think Steve's an idiot. Plain and simple."

"Thanks Ryder," Steve grumbled.

"We've been going around and around with him for hours," Case added, taking a drink herself. "We're back to the original point…you're being an idiot."

Steve downed his drink and glared at the two of them, who glared right back, not backing down.

Peggy cut in again, trying for a different approach. "Did you believe in your friend?" When all three sets of eyes were on her, she asked, "Did you respect him?" Steve didn't respond, but the look on his face told Peggy she was getting somewhere. "Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it."

Steve was still quiet for a few more moments, before he said in a low voice, "I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not going to stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured."

"You won't be alone," Peggy told him.

* * *

 **January 1** **st** **, 2015**

" _You won't be alone."_

Ryder woke with a snort and a gasp as he tried to get his bearings. He didn't move from his spot, but his head felt… _off_. The best way he could describe the feeling was something in it was trying to twist off kilter, like his head was trying to tell him he was back in the Whip and Fiddle, shattered windows letting the cold winter air right into the building, tables and chairs thrown about the room.

But if he focused – and put his best efforts forward to do so – he realized he was in a bed. It had a headboard that was made of dark wood with shelves, currently housing his phone and his tablet and a few books that he'd read recently. The mattress below him was the firmest he could find, and it was covered in a thin gray sheet. He was laying on his stomach, and his arms were clutching around the soft…wait, that wasn't a pillow beneath his head…if he didn't know any better, those were a pair of thighs, and his arms were wrapped around a pair of hips as his hands were squeezing a firm round…

"Good morning soldier," Natasha's husky voice said above him.

"Holy shit!" Ryder shot up and away, scrambling out of the bed and across the room as quickly as he could.

Natasha had an innocent grin on her face and was wearing one of his t-shirts as she sat in his bed, leaning back against the headboard.

From what he could tell, Ryder's head had been in her lap and he'd been squeezing…"Did I just get a handful of your ass?"

"Two handfuls actually," Natasha said.

"Oh god…where are my gloves?" Ryder asked, looking around the room. " _Where are my gloves?_ "

Natasha had an eyebrow quirked, "You're still wearing them, Howlett."

Ryder looked at his hands, seeing them still housed in black cotton gloves. He gave a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. As the adrenaline rush calmed down, he was able to take better stock of his surroundings.

His room was dimly lit, the blinds of the floor to ceiling windows were closed, but he could see lights from the city coming in from the gaps behind the curtain. He looked to the side…and saw his alarm clock on the nightstand glowing in the dark, reading the time, _6:18 AM._

He wasn't in the Whip and Fiddle…he wasn't even in Europe…he was in Manhattan, in the Avengers' Tower. In his bed, in his apartment…

"Why are you in my bed?" Ryder asked, his voice almost sounding like a whine. He remembered Thor broke out the Asgardian booze, and he, Case, and even Steve had decided to partake since it had been New Year's Eve…and it had been a rough year.

Things started blurring together after that…and as his nerves kicked in so did the hangover, as his head began to pound.

"I did have this elaborate story planned about how you swept me off my feet and into your bed," Natasha began as she got out of bed. "But seeing you like this…that wasn't what I was expecting."

"Sorry to disappoint," Ryder groaned, as he rubbed at his eyes.

Natasha knelt in front of him and brushed his bangs back from his face. "I slept on the couch…you offered me a t-shirt to wear."

Ryder's shoulders slumped, "That makes sense."

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare," Natasha added, continuing to stroke her fingers through his hair, "So I came in to check on you…"

"Uh-huh," Ryder gave a nod, enjoying the touch.

"When I sat down on the bed you rolled over and buried your face in my lap," Natasha finished. "Wrapped your arms around me, squeezed my ass and then woke up."

Ryder flinched, "Sorry about that."

Natasha gave a shrug, "Don't worry about it…are you alright? Anything you want to talk about?" She glanced back at the bed, "Maybe an explanation on why you freaked out?"

"Wasn't expecting you to be in my bed," Ryder admitted. "Thought…thought maybe I'd lost my gloves…taken advantage or something."

"Nothing to worry about there," Natasha assured him. "How 'bout your dream?"

Ryder sighed, "Just a flashback I guess…just after Bucky fell." He rubbed at his eyes again and blinked trying to clear them, "Got drunk then too."

"I thought you couldn't get drunk."

"Normally we can't, Asgardian booze aside," Ryder admitted. "But we drink enough regular booze in one sitting…and it makes for a bitchin' day."

Natasha gave a laugh, "Anyway…you okay? Need an aspirin or something?"

"Water would be nice…maybe coffee…not to mention we gotta go check on Case and Steve," Ryder said, slowly getting to his feet.

Much like regular alcohol, aspirin wouldn't really help his headache…although he _did_ get to feel the full effects of a hangover when he was able to get drunk.

"So, what happened?" Natasha asked, shoving her legs into a pair of Ryder's pajama pants. "After you got drunk?"

"Woke up in my quarters sharing a bed with Steve," Ryder said, grabbing a pair of discarded jeans. He pulled them up and caught Natasha's raised eyebrows, "Oh don't give me that look, I still have nightmares about it. You've never experienced nastiness that bad until you've had Steve's feet in your face after eight hours in a pair of shoes…" He gave a shudder, and a groan as his head throbbed painfully.

Natasha laughed at that, "So not the most romantic experience of your life?"

Ryder huffed, "I've had less awkward moments waking up to my Friday night mistake on a Saturday morning." When Natasha's laugh stopped, Ryder looked at her, "What?"

"Just…not something I was expecting you to say," Natasha frowned.

Ryder shrugged as he opened his door, "Not exactly some of my prouder moments I'll admit…but I _did_ have a life before I went off to war."

"Did you have a sweetheart to write home to?" Natasha asked as she followed him to the elevator.

"Not until Viola," Ryder admitted. "And then we never did anything physical…I did write to her when I could. I was hoping to get to know her better when the war ended…but you saw how that one turned out."

They stepped into the elevator and headed to the floor where the common area was located. Last Ryder had seen of Steve and Case they were passed out on the couches.

"You loved her…didn't you?"

Ryder gazed at his own reflection as he thought of his answer. His hair stuck out at odd angles and his t-shirt was wrinkled…his eyes had dark circles underneath them, and his cheeks were covered with a light beard. He took a breath and said, "To be honest, I don't know. I think so…but it's not like we ever got to get to that point. We had a few weeks together while they disbanded Steve's show and set up everything with the Howling Commandos…and then it was strictly letters if possible."

"But you cared about her."

Ryder gave a nod at that, "I did…still do. Although as a friend now, obviously…"

"Do you have your eye on someone else romance wise?"

Ryder's eyes shifted to her reflection, "Yeah, I do."

"Great…who is it?"

Ryder leaned back against the wall of the elevator, casually folding his arms across his chest, "That's my secret."

The doors opened with a quiet hiss, and Natasha left the elevator first, giving a small smirk as she said, "You know I'm gonna find out who it is eventually, right?"

Ryder gave his own smirk as he watched her walk away, before leaving the elevator himself, and quietly said, "I'm countin' on it."

Steve and Case were right where they'd left them. Case was passed out face first into one of the couches, snoring quietly into the fabric of the cushion. Her right foot was hanging in the air and her right arm was brushing the floor. Steve was sprawled upside down in the chair next to the couch, head resting on an ottoman while his left leg as draped over an armrest and his right was braced over the headrest.

"How did he do that?" Natasha asked.

"In the ninety years I've known Steve I've learned there's just some things you don't need to ask," Ryder shook his head. He walked over to the two as Natasha headed toward the coffee maker in the kitchenette.

Before he could say a word, he bumped into the couch that Case was laying on. His twin gave a snort and her head shot up, "Bucky?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, bub, but very far from it," Ryder said. He raised his voice, "Hey Rogers…rise and shine pal!"

Steve gave a groan and reached up to rub at his head, "Fuck off Howlett."

"Well aren't you a bright ball of sunshine this morning," Ryder chuckled. "Weren't you the one that called me an idiot on my birthday?"

"Well you were the first one to get shit-faced," Case pointed out as her head dropped back onto the sofa.

"And this time it was Steve," Ryder smirked. As Steve's hand rose into the air, Ryder's eyebrows went up, "Now, now, that's no way for Captain America to behave."

"Captain America isn't here…just Steve Rogers," Steve grumbled as he grabbed a cushion from the chair he was sprawled on and covered his face, "And Steve Rogers says—"

"Yeah, yeah, we know what he says," Natasha said, walking over to the couch and handing Ryder a glass of water. "Tell me, Steve…do you miss having Ryder as your bedmate?"

The cushion instantly disappeared from Steve's face and his blue eyes were narrowed, "We agreed to never speak of it."

"What was there to not speak of…he woke up with your feet in his face," Case grumbled, and she looked over at Steve, "And in a similar position to that if I recall."

Natasha cocked an eyebrow at Ryder, who nodded.

Steve groaned and put the pillow back over his face, "I hate you all." He pulled the pillow away as Natasha walked back across the room, and cocked an eyebrow as he asked, "By the way…why is Natasha in your pajamas?"

"Oh uh…no reason," Ryder said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"It happened in an odd month, I win!" Case said, raising her head again.

"No, nothing happened!" Ryder hissed at her.

"So, you didn't make a move?" Steve asked.

"No, of course not!"

"Pity."

Case gave a snort of laughter, before laying back down on her cushion.

"Seriously? You of all people?" Ryder snapped.

Steve gave him a blank look, before saying, "You're right…I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"But to be fair," Case chimed in, looking back up at him, "Our relationships crashed and burned because we waited too long…you could learn a thing or two from us."

Ryder rolled his eyes, "Guys…I love you both, and I thank you for the advice…but I think I have a _little_ more experience in this department than the two of you."

"Yeah, a hundred and forty-three relationships worth," Case rolled her eyes.

"And no convictions," Steve added.

Ryder rolled his eyes at them, "I hate you both."


	16. Chapter 16

**Again, I'm sorry about the delayed post…time just got away from me this time around, but I'm going to try and get back on a regular schedule with posting. Also, check out my other story, "The Misadventures of Punk, Jerk, Shorty, and Hypno-Hands" – basically a story for deleted and extended scenes for "Flashbulb Memories"**

* * *

 **January 1945**

The Howling Commandos sat in the headquarters of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, watching Colonel Chester Phillips stare at a large map.

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bughouse," the Colonel declared. "He thinks he's a god, and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA," he turned toward the table and pointed at the map to emphasize his point.

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities," Howard Stark chimed in as he took a seat at the table. "He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire Eastern Seaboard in an hour."

Steve was seated at the head of the table, with Case on his right and Ryder on his left. He was going over the documents regarding the Hydra intel they had, one could almost see the gears turning in his head. Neither he nor the Howlett twins said a word as the meeting progressed.

Gabe was the first one to speak up, "How much time we got?"

Phillips looked up from his own documents, "According to my new best friend, under twenty-four hours."

"Where is he now?" Dernier asked, one of the few times he spoke in English.

"Hydra's last base is here," Phillips said, holding up a picture and pointing at it, "In the Alps, five hundred feet below the surface." He tossed a few copies of the photo onto the table.

Morita grabbed one and studied it for a minute, before asking, "So what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not?" Steve finally asked. When all eyes at the table turned to him, he looked up at the rest of them and said, "That's exactly what we're gonna do."

* * *

A few hours later, Case sat on her cot in the women's barracks, knees tucked to her chest, staring at her socked feet. That was what she did in what little alone time she had when they weren't on duty…still trying to process everything.

Her roommate, who had been rolling her eyes at her each time they crossed paths, finally said, "I don't understand you."

Case blinked and slowly looked up at her, and in an exhausted tone asked, "What don't you understand?"

"What did you think this was going to be?" the woman asked. "This is _war_ , in case you didn't know. People have been dying left, right, and sideways…did you _honestly_ think it wouldn't happen eventually?"

Case blinked at her again, then finally said, "The inside of your mind must be a miserable place."

Her roommate scowled and opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. She walked over to the door and yanked it open, snapping, "What do you want?"

Case shook her head and looked back at her socks. There was a small hole forming where her big toe was…she could see her toenail starting to poke through the fabric.

"I wanted to talk to my sister," Ryder's voice said from the doorway.

"She's not doin' much talkin'," The woman said. "Doubt you're special enough to break through."

Case could hear the door close, and Ryder said, "Real piece of work, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Case said in a low voice.

She didn't look up when he sat down at the foot of the cot, or when he sighed and scrubbed a gloved hand through his hair. "Case…" he began but stopped.

When Case finally looked up at him, she could see the torn look on his face, "What?"

Ryder chewed on his lip, before he finally said, "He loved you…you know that, right?"

Tears began welling in Case's eyes, and she looked back down at her feet, "I don't want to talk about this."

"Case…he wanted you to know that," Ryder said hesitantly. "When…when we were in the factory he told me."

The tears started rolling down her cheeks as she said, "Glad he told one of us at least."

"Case…" Ryder began, then stopped. He didn't seem sure how to respond to that.

After a few moments of silence, Case took a deep breath, "You know…because of what we are…I always knew there was a possibility we were going to outlive Steve and Bucky."

"Gotta admit that crossed my mind as well," Ryder said, "Especially with Steve's health issues…"

Case gave a nod, and she sniffled, "Always knew I'd eventually have to learn to live without him…just didn't think it would be this soon." More tears fell as she leaned back against the cold brick wall, "God…I just want him back. I want the world to stop…"

"But the world can't stop turning just because he's gone," Ryder said, although his eyes were wet as well.

"I know," Case nodded. "Doesn't make it hurt any less…doesn't give me the energy to get up in the morning either."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one looking at the other, just lost in their own heads, still trying to sort through the grief of the sudden loss of their friend.

"You know…the first night…after we found you guys," Case began. "I uh…I couldn't sleep. So, I snuck into Bucky's tent…well, technically his and Steve's. I don't know where Steve was…meetings with the Colonel, I don't know."

"Case, I don't really want to hear—"

"We didn't _do_ anything," Case rolled her eyes. "Just talked…he held me…I fell asleep as the little spoon."

"Oh…well…that's…" Ryder frowned thoughtfully, "Rather sweet actually."

Case gave a non-committal shrug, but otherwise said nothing.

Ryder hesitated before he asked his next question, "What do you think of Steve's plan?"

"Reckless…dangerous…downright insane," Case admitted. "Just crazy enough to get him killed."

"I know." Ryder took a deep breath before he added, "I think we're gonna lose Steve too."

Case mulled that over, "It's a possibility."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Not in the slightest, but what else are we gonna do?" Case asked, finally getting to her feet. "Bucky is gone! Steve's got the serum but he's still a regular human…which means he can die too! I don't want to lose him, but we can't stop him from doing something insane."

"True…he's proven time and time again he's going to carry on with whatever he's got planned one way or the other," Ryder agreed. "Case in point being the serum."

"Yeah…so what do we do?" Case said. When Ryder didn't respond, Case continued, "We do what we've been doing for the last twenty years."

Ryder thought for a moment then said, "Follow after him to make sure he doesn't get himself killed?"

"Basically."

"That counteracts your argument we can't prevent his death."

"Better to try and say we did then to sit back and watch it happen," Case reminded him. "We've had his back all these years, same as he's had ours…that's not gonna change without Bucky." She had a moment of hesitation, and tears filled her eyes again. As she blinked them away, she said, "So once again, we pick ourselves up and we get ready to follow the little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb to run away from a fight into the jaws of death."

"And hope we all come out on the other side," Ryder pointed out.

"Well then it's our job to make sure Steve comes out with us, isn't it?"

Ryder frowned again at her, "You don't think Dad's got a point? That there's the potential for us to die as well?"

"We can heal from any injury… _what_ potential is there?"

* * *

 **February 14** **th** **, 2015 – Washington DC**

 _What a way to spend Valentine's Day…_ Case thought with a grimace as she made her way into her apartment.

She was beaten and bruised – yet another successful mission all the same but being thrown into a brick wall by a creature ten times her size wasn't how she'd wanted to spend the so-called holiday…not to mention crashing her motorcycle and having the kick stand jammed through her leg…oh yes, her right leg still ached over that one. That was going to take a little time to heal completely – considering she'd run around and finished the mission with a piece of metal shoved right through her leg at mid-calf for the span of several hours. The scream she'd let out when they had to yank it out – her leg had been healing around the kickstand…Case gave a shudder and tried to push the memories to the back of her mind.

Tony said he'd be able to save the bike, it would take a little bit of time, but he could fix the damages it took…and Pepper assured her that she'd make sure he didn't add anything extra while he was fixing it.

With a small groan of pain Case walked into her apartment and locked the door behind her. After tossing her keys onto the table, she made her way to her couch, and as gently as she could she belly-flopped onto the cushions. She buried her face in a pillow, yawning quietly as she relaxed.

Every muscle ached, her right leg throbbed…but finally she was home, in the quiet, calm atmosphere of her own living space, where nobody…and then the floorboards started creaking – someone else was in the apartment with her, walking around carefully…almost hesitantly.

Okay…where _almost_ nobody was there to bother her.

Something made a quiet thud as it was placed on the coffee table next to her, but Case ignored the sound, just as she had ignored the footsteps wandering through her living room.

She knew she was being stared at, but she ignored it in favor of turning her head to the side while keeping her eyes closed, trying to relax enough to get some shut eye. She was exhausted, hadn't slept in almost forty-eight…alright, seventy-two hours – her insomnia was acting up again, and she'd been having trouble sleeping through the night, if she could even fall asleep at all.

Apparently though the person was insistent…even though Case blatantly ignored the staring.

The two fingers that started wiggling into her non-bruised side where her shirt had ridden up…that she had a harder time ignoring.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" Case laughed as she started squirming, batting the hand away. She sat up and rubbed at the spot, "That wasn't fair."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her visitor's face, before disappearing almost immediately. They pointed at her leg first, where she'd rolled up the leg of her jeans to cover the wound with gauze – it was a straight through and through, so she'd put gauze pads on each hole from the kickstand and wrapped medical tape around it to keep it covered until her healing ability kicked in.

"It's no big deal…just a small injury from the mission, nothing more," Case shrugged it off.

Lips formed into a thin line, and a hand pointed to the laptop that was now sitting on the table. On the screen was a paused video, the date saying that it had been posted a few hours before. The spacebar key was pressed, and the video showed Case on her motorcycle…trying to distract the creature, as it swung a massive arm and knocked both Case and the bike into the air to come crashing down on the ground.

Case flinched as she heard the scream from the video as her right leg got trapped underneath the crumpled remains of her bike. In the video Ryder and Natasha raced over to help…and Case closed the laptop panel instead with a cringe.

"Kickstand from my bike…" She finally admitted. She took a deep breath, her body giving another shudder at the memory as she added, "It'll be healed by morning…at the latest." She finally looked up at her visitor, "Also…stalking is a crime you know."

Next, they pointed at the new object on the coffee table. It was a picture in a frame, Case had been keeping it on her nightstand a lot lately.

"That's a picture Steve drew for me…it was a present for my ninety-fifth birthday," Case explained, picking up the picture frame. She gave a small smile at the image, "Told me to wait to open it…gotta admit I almost cried when I did."

Head cocked, the question was plain as day on their face.

Case put the picture frame down on the coffee table, scrubbing at her eyes. This was going to take a long time…she looked up at her visitor and asked, "Where do we start?"


	17. Chapter 17

**January 1945**

"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you do it better than anyone!" Johann Schmidt snapped as he approached Steve. When he stood before him the man added, "But…there are limits to what even you can do, Captain. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise?"

"He told me you were insane," Steve responded. He was standing between two Hydra guards, in the heart of Red Skull's base in the Alps, after having been captured during his solo mission into the compound.

The room – although filled with Hydra soldiers – was rather large, with five large windows on the opposite side which overlooked snowy mountaintops. The walls and floors were all made of metal, all footsteps echoed with metallic clangs.

"Ah…" Schmidt said thoughtfully. He was dressed in a black Hydra uniform, covered from neck to toe with just his red skulled head exposed, and he carried a gun in a holster at his side. "He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine, but he gave you everything. So…what made you so special?"

Steve scoffed at that, "Nothin'…I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."

That earned him a punch from Schmidt's right fist…then a second…then a shot to the gut which drove Steve to his knees as he coughed and gasped for air.

Steve's lip had split from one of the hits, and he looked up and said, "I can do this all day."

"Oh, of course you can, of course," Schmidt said, before pulling the pistol out of its side-holster – Steve could see the glowing blue light from the barrel as the man cocked the gun and aimed straight for him, "But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule."

They could hear something hit the rock outside of the window, and when Schmidt looked over at the glass he could see five bodies flying and coming their way.

"So am I!" Steve snarled, and yanked one of the guards that held him captive between him and Schmidt. He disappeared into a cloud of ash and blue light when Schmidt pulled the trigger.

Glass shattered, and through each of the panes of glass flew a member of the Howling Commandos. Gabe stood front and center, blasting away Hydra guards with a machine gun, with Ryder planted on his left with his own machine gun. Falsworth and Case were blasting away with rifles, and Dum Dum fired a shotgun into the group.

"Rogers! You might need this!" Falsworth yelled out as he made his way further into the room, flinging Steve's shield at him.

"Thanks!" Steve yelled out as he caught the shield and raced through the door.

* * *

"I wish I coulda seen the look on Schmidt's face when we busted through the window," Case said, as she cracked an egg into a mixing bowl. "Had to have been priceless."

"He didn't see that one coming, that's for sure," Steve agreed.

He and Sam sat on barstools at the kitchen counter in Case's apartment in DC, watching as Case whisked ingredients into the bowl and kept going back and forth between a piece of paper that was stuck to the refrigerator with a small magnet in the shape of Steve's shield and the large bowl. She cracked another egg and mixed it in, followed by a third, constantly mixing.

"What are you making, Case?" Sam asked.

"With any luck…a chocolate cake," Case told him.

"Didn't Winifred say you should stay out of any and all kitchens?" Steve asked.

Case frowned at him, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Steve…I'll have you know when Pierce had me benched I was brushing up on my cooking skills!"

"You never _had_ any cooking skills."

Case simply rolled her eyes and went back to her cooking.

"Who's Winifred?" Sam finally asked. "I know you've mentioned her before…but who is she?"

"Winifred Barnes…Bucky's mother," Steve explained. "When we were kids, Case wanted to bake a cake for Ryder on their birthday and asked Winnie to help her with the endeavor…unfortunately Case almost sent their apartment up in flames."

"It was an accident!" Case protested.

"On the first attempt the set the oven too high," Steve explained. "On the second she accidentally left an oven mitt in with the cake…we still don't know how that happened, but needless to say it caught fire…and Winnie basically told Case she was a sweetheart, but it probably would be best if she never attempted cooking again…she might destroy something."

"Hey, I managed a cake when _your_ birthday came around that year," Case pointed out.

"Yes, you did, and I appreciate the gesture…but…and I mean this with all love and respect…I could have used it as a doorstop," Steve pointed out.

"Well this one will be different…you'll see," Case said confidently. "Now…I believe we were telling Sam about a battle."

"Right…so…where were we?"

"You'd just left the room…and the rest of us grabbed those laser guns and were blasting away other Hydra goons into oblivion," Case reminded him.

"Right…"

* * *

Case and Ryder were trailing behind Steve, trying to catch up with him. They could hear laser blasts reverberating off metal, and two loud clangs that echoed down the hallway.

They caught up to him just as Steve fell back at the sight of a Hydra guard armed with a flamethrower.

"Shit!" Ryder yelled out as they flung themselves against the wall.

"That's just not fair!" Case chimed in as the flames continued to stream down the hallway.

Suddenly gunfire could be heard along with a small explosion. The flames cut out, and the trio looked out from their sanctuary to see the man lying on the floor…his body currently on fire.

Steve walked over to where Peggy was coming around the corner. He simply said, "You're late."

At the sight of the smile that appeared on Steve's face, Ryder whispered to Case, "Who had January?" Then he dodged the swipe she took at him as she shushed him.

"Weren't you about to…?" Peggy asked suddenly.

"Right…" Steve said and took off down the hallway after Schmidt.

Case and Ryder took off after him, barely shoving their way through the gap as Steve yanked his shield from between the doors. They raced into the hangar, seeing the _Valkyrie_ already in motion getting ready for take-off as hundreds of Hydra soldiers fired on the American troops.

The trio took off again, Steve bashing Hydra soldiers with his shield, finally using a crate to take a flying leap and grab hold of a chain, soaring across the room, leaving Case and Ryder behind.

They watched as Steve flew, Ryder yelling after him, "Show off!"

"What're we gonna do now?" Case asked.

That was when Schmidt's convertible screeched to a stop beside them, Peggy seated in the backseat with Colonel Phillips in the driver's seat.

"We're gonna get in the car," Ryder told her, and the two climbed in as Phillips took off after Steve.

* * *

"He called me a show off?" Steve asked weakly.

"Sorry pal…but you kinda left us behind," Case pointed out, handing him a beer from her refrigerator. She handed Sam one and uncapped one for herself. She'd finished mixing her cake – two cakes in fact, she was going for a layer cake…or at least had a backup if something bad happened. They were both in the oven, with Case having triple checked both the temperatures and the times needed to bake. She was now seated on a third stool on the kitchen side of the counter, sipping on a beer as she relaxed.

"Plus…you kinda Tarzaned your way across the room," Sam added. "Not many people can do that…mutant or no."

Steve simply scowled and took a sip from his beer bottle, waiting for Case to continue with the rest of the story.

* * *

"Get in!" Phillips roared at Steve.

Steve, who'd been racing after the _Valkyrie_ on foot, wasted no time in jumping into the car with them.

Phillips flipped a switch on the dashboard, and the car increased speed, shoving all five occupants in the car backward into their seats.

As they reached the underside of the _Valkyrie,_ Steve stood up, "Keep it steady!"

Case and Ryder eased to their feet as well, as Peggy called out "Wait!" She pulled Steve close and pressed a kiss to his lips. She looked up at him with a smile as they broke apart, and said, "Go get him."

Steve looked shocked, and he looked at Phillips, who shook his head, "I'm not kissin' ya!"

"Seriously, who had January?" Ryder asked as they moved into position. The car moved between the propellers of the _Valkyrie,_ and as Steve's shield and one of the wheel wells caught the blades Ryder shoved Case in front of him, moving both as close to center as possible.

As soon as Steve took his leap, Case and Ryder were right behind him, all three leaping into the air and grabbing hold of the landing gear of the plane.

Ryder was holding tightly to the main structure of the landing gear. Case was gripping a hose that was coming down for dear life as Steve adjusted so he was also gripping the hose as well as part of the landing gear itself. "I am never getting on another plane as long as I live!" She yelled at him.

"You shouldn't even be on this one!" Steve yelled back at her as the gear started to rise into the plane.

"Till the end of the line, Rogers!" Case roared at him as the landing gear doors shut behind them.

* * *

"Oh God I forgot I said that…" Case's cheeks turned red as she face-palmed.

"What's so bad about that?" Sam asked.

"The end of the line was him and Bucky's thing," Case explained. "Didn't really feel right for me or Ryder to use it."

"Doesn't make it any less true," Steve pointed out.

"Still…" Case began, when the timer on her cell phone began ringing. "Cake's done!" She hopped from her stool and grabbed her oven mitts, pulling the cake pans out of the oven. She grabbed a toothpick and stabbed it into both cakes, smiling when it came out clean.

"Smells good," Sam pointed out.

"Like I said…I've been working on my cooking skills…or lack thereof," Case said, turning back to face them. "I had a lot of free time since Pierce wouldn't let me go back into the field."

"And it seems you finally reached the goal of baking a decent cake for one of our birthdays," Steve added.

"Let's just hope it tastes as good as it smells, huh?"

Sam frowned thoughtfully, going over all the birthdays he'd been a part of over the last year. Pepper's birthday was in February, Tony's was coming up in May…Rhodey's birthday was in October…he didn't recall hearing about any upcoming birthdays in March. "Whose birthday is it?"

Steve and Case both shared a look, before Case said, "It's March tenth…it's Bucky's birthday."

"He turns ninety-eight," Steve said with a small smile. "Always loved giving Ryder shit when he got on his 'I am the older twin' pedestal."

"I always forget he's a year older than you guys."

"Easy to forget…at least if you didn't have the reminder for about twenty years," Case shrugged. "Anyway…I always said one year I'd make a successful cake for someone's birthday…so let's hope this year it turned out alright."

It grew quiet for a few minutes after that. After ten minutes of silence, Sam cleared his throat and said, "Alright…so we've covered Schmidt and the Hydra base…are you guys ready to return to the _Valkyrie_?"

"Before we do…there's one other question I want to clear up first," Steve said.

"What's that?"

"Who _did_ have January?"

Case gave a snort at that, "I kinda feel bad about that one…but it's still kinda hilarious."

"How do you figure?"

Case held up her hand in a 'one moment' gesture, and got to her feet, disappearing toward the bedrooms.

Sam and Steve exchanged confused looks before Case returned with a small picture frame in her hand.

"I had this in my footlocker…my Dad saved all of our stuff. I put it in a frame to keep it safe…" Case said, putting the frame on the counter. "This is the original list…"

The writing was a bit faded, and the paper was showing its age even through the frame. _When Will Steve Make a Move?_ Was written on the side of the page, and that alone made Steve scowl and roll his eyes. All twelve months were listed, May and September were blank, each of the others had names filled out next to them. Written next to January was another familiar scrawl – _Twenty to Win, R.J. Howlett_


	18. Chapter 18

**See bottom of page for Author's Note**

* * *

"Case…what in the hell did you do?"

"Nothing…it's not what it…I mean, it's kinda what it looks like…but it's not really, I swear!"

Sam Wilson scrubbed a hand over his face. When he'd gotten the call that Case was standing on his doorstep at 2:30 in the morning, he'd been concerned – not overly so, he'd given Case the permission to call him when her insomnia was acting up and she was having nightmares, so he'd assumed she was having a problem and maybe needed something more than a phone call.

When he'd opened the door five minutes later and Case came in bundled up in loose pajama pants and a baggy hoodie, he'd thought nothing of it…maybe she was cold? It was still early March after all…and according to her since the adamantium fusion she ran a little colder when the temperature dropped.

When she'd walked into his living room and removed the hoodie, however, and showed that her forearms were covered in clear saranwrap because of some wicked looking scald burns…that shocked him.

"It was precautionary, really," Case rolled her eyes, pulling the dark hoodie back over her head. "I'll be fine in a few hours…but because I was coming here on my bike it was insisted that I wrap my arms…thankfully they took the brunt of it…"

"What the hell happened?" Sam asked.

Case sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face as she sat down on Sam's sofa, "It's something that happens…off and on. I don't know what triggers it, actually…I can only assume it was because we were talking about the _Valkyrie_ crash…" She sighed, "I…sometimes sleepwalk, I guess? I go to bed and have a very… _vivid_ nightmare about the _Valkyrie_ …and usually I wake up huddled on the floor of my shower, with hot water pouring over me." She looked at her clothed arms, "Didn't wake up soon enough this time I guess…all I know I was still shivering and muttering _trop froid, besoin de se réchauffer,_ over and over again."

After having taken a seat in the armchair across from her, Sam frowned as he asked, "I'm guessing that's French…"

"It translates to, _'too cold, need to get warm',_ " Case explained. "I did have a nightmare a few months ago involving the adamantium fusion…that one I was under an icy cold shower."

"Do you…or did you…have these nightmares often?"

Case thought that one over, "They happened a lot more when we got out of the ice…but I thought they'd stopped to be honest. At least until the adamantium fusion nightmares began…"

"Why did you tell me about this before?" Sam asked. "Case…I told you when we started this, we were going to have to face the tough subjects!"

"I know Sam…but this…this is _humiliating!_ " Case snapped at him. "I mean, sleep showering? Who the fuck does that? And it's not like my track record with honesty hasn't backfired on me in the past either!"

Sam sighed, "Case…I'm not your other therapists!"

"I know that."

"Then why are you holding back?"

Sam hadn't turned on any lights when Case had entered, the only light in his living room was moonlight streaming through the windows. Even in the dim light he could see tears had started welling in Case's eyes, and she looked down at the floor, her dark wavy hair acting like a curtain and hiding her face. "Because on some level…I don't trust you as much as I thought I did."

Sam's eyebrows rose at that, and he wasn't going to lie to himself and say that it didn't hurt, especially after all they'd been through so far. _Okay…fine,_ he thought. Before he got too far into his thoughts, though, Case continued.

"But…the thing is…it's not _you_ I don't trust…I just…" She shook her head, "Those damn therapists made me afraid of being honest, if that makes sense. They took something…that, okay, in the wrong context, is troublesome…but they don't know _me_ , and didn't take the time to do so. They just…" She then took a deep breath and looked him in the eye as she said, "I didn't jump on the _Valkyrie_ just to die."

Sam thought through the last conversation regarding that plane he'd had with Case. They hadn't gone much farther than the landing gear part, when the _Valkyrie_ took off. "Did someone say you did?"

"The two doctors I mentioned," Case sighed. "I went a little more into detail about how I was feeling at the time…and they asked if I had thoughts of ending my life often. When I was confused, they asked if I jumped on to the _Valkyrie_ to end my life…since it was certainly a suicide mission."

"I can't argue that it was a suicide mission…but it sounded to me like you were more concerned with trying to make sure Steve was safe rather than ending it all."

Case gave a nod, "I'd already lost Bucky…I couldn't lose Steve too. Plus, I guess there was the fleeting thought of if Steve died on the _Valkyrie_ that when Ryder and I officially got to the Great Beyond we'd never hear the end of it from Bucky that we let Steve do something stupid like that."

"So, you went and did the stupid thing with him instead," Sam deadpanned.

With a sheepish shrug, Case added, "If ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Case…"

"I know, I know," Case scrubbed a hand over her face. "To be honest…I didn't think of it as a suicide mission. I mean…didn't really think too far ahead other than what we were doing at the time…but I guess on the rational level I thought we'd be heading back to the base in the Alps once all was said and done."

Sam was quiet for a moment, letting what she said sink in. Finally, he asked, "What _were_ you thinking and feeling at the time?"

Case shifted from foot to foot as she said, "Honestly? After Bucky fell…I didn't feel much of anything. I was still trying to process what had happened. I mean…you know a guy for over twenty years and suddenly he's gone…it's not easy."

"True," Sam agreed, watching Case reclaim her seat on the sofa.

"I just wanted the world to stop turning…just for a minute," Case said softly. "I wanted time…I wanted him back. Hell, I wanted one more moment just to apologize and tell him I love him…" She gave a sigh, "The problem is…I trusted them too much, thinking they understood, or would ask more questions."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to live without Bucky," Case admitted. "And part of me still doesn't. So…they assumed that I jumped on the _Valkyrie_ with Steve and Ryder to end it all…like I _knew_ that it was going to be a suicide mission."

"That thought never even crossed your mind? About the suicide mission I mean?"

Case's cheeks darkened in the dim light, and she sounded embarrassed as she admitted, "Like I said earlier, I hadn't really thought that far ahead. And…no it really hadn't crossed my mind at all. What the doctors assumed was me wanting to end it all…was in my opinion an extension of a god complex."

Sam mulled that over, going over the story and what he knew about Case, and gave a small smile as he said, "Glad you finally came to that conclusion."

"That I've got a God Complex? Yeah…that finally came to me after I walked out of the second doctor's office," Case gave a weak chuckle. It died quickly though, and she looked down at the floor. "Though…Siberia brought me to my breaking point, if I'm being totally honest…physically and mentally. Watching them erase his memories…not being able to stop them…"

Sam watched her give a full body shudder, and said, "But they don't have him anymore. His memories will come back with time, right?"

Case gave a nod, "Yeah…they will. I just…" She sighed, and Sam could see a lone tear rolling down her cheek, "He didn't deserve to be treated that way…nobody does, but especially not Bucky. And she kept arguing with me…telling me that he was their Asset…that he couldn't leave because he belonged to them…"

Sam and Case both shot to their feet as Case's claws shot from her hands. She retracted them just as quickly, and said, "Anyway…I just wanted to clarify…make sure you weren't heading to that conclusion."

Sam's frown deepened, "But Case—"

"I don't want to talk about Siberia," Case said in a tone that left no room for argument. "Not yet…I'm not ready. There's a lot of other stuff I wanna get off my chest first before I even touch that one."

Sam wanted to argue, but the firm look on Case's face told him not to, "Alright…so just to recap for our little session here…you have moments where you sleep shower…and you didn't go onto the _Valkyrie_ because of Bucky…you did it because like Cap you're kind of an idiot."

The side of Case's mouth curved up in a half-smile, "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"Is that why you don't talk about him?" Sam then asked. "Because of the doctors?"

"No," Case shook her head. "I stopped talking about him to get some distance. At the time…I didn't know Bucky was still alive, and with our jump seventy years into the future…it was all suddenly hitting me at once. If I open that door…" She sighed, and sat back down on the couch, prompting Sam to resume his seat as well. "When we first got out of the ice…Bucky was all I could think about. Various memories…when we got together, the things we did behind closed doors…the fight we had. I felt like I was drowning…and the doctors were no help, so focused on the fact I was a woman out of my time they couldn't see that I was in over my head with my other problems."

"That's gotta be rough, I'm sorry," Sam said quietly.

Case gave a shrug, "That's why I kept going from doctor to doctor. I was trying to find one that could help me…but after those first three I said, 'fuck it'…I was done."

"What prompted it after Siberia?"

"Pierce," Case scowled. "He wouldn't send me back into the field until I met with a SHIELD sanctioned therapist."

"So, when you were running around with Cap—"

"Completely off the books behind Pierce's back," Case explained. "Back to the point though…I _had_ to stop talking about him…stop thinking about him. Doesn't mean I love him any less, or that he's ever that far away from my thoughts…but if I didn't…" She scrubbed her hands over her cheeks, wiping away a few more tears, "I couldn't move forward if I kept dragging Bucky with me. I thought he was gone forever…and suddenly what was supposed to just be an irrational fear was now a reality."

Sam couldn't help but notice Case's present tense term of 'Love him any less'… _love_ not _loved_. "And what are you going to do about things now that you know he's still alive?"

And at that moment, guitar chords began to fill the air. Case looked down at her pocket, where the screen of her cell phone was glowing through the fabric of the pajama pants.

" _Here we stand, or here we fall, history won't care at all. Make the bed, light the light, Lady Mercy won't be home tonight. You don't waste no time at all, don't hear the bell but you answer the call. It comes to you as to us all, yeah, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall, yeah!"_

As the song began again, Sam cocked an eyebrow at Case, who gave him a sheepish smile.

"I should take probably take this, huh?" She said, before pulling the device out of her pocket. She slid her thumb across the screen as she said, _"Hé._ _Non, je vais bien... juste parler avec Sam. Oui, je lui ai montré les brûlures... Je lui ai parlé de la Nightmares...no je n'ai pas tiré le SaranWrap de mes bras."_ She rolled her eyes, _"Je t'ai dit que je la garderais jusqu'à mon retour. Ils seront partis au matin...Hey qui saurait mieux que moi?"_ Her eyebrows went up, _"Maintenant que c'est non appelé pour...parce que ce temps est différent, c'est pourquoi!_ _Ecoute, on réglera ça quand je rentrerai."_ With another roll of her eyes she ended the call and shoved her phone back in her pocket.

"Friend of yours?"

"Something like that," Case shook her head.

"Actually, that does bring me to my next question," Sam said, "Who wrapped your arms?"

Case blinked at him, "Huh?"

"Well…you're always confident in your healing ability," Sam pointed out. "And you really only bandage things if you're bleeding…so I gotta ask the question."

Case chewed on her lip for a moment, then looked off to the side, "Well, look at the time…I really should be going."

That surprised Sam a bit, "But Case—"

"Sorry to run like this," Case said hastily, getting to her feet. "I really gotta get going…" She gave a loud, fake yawn as she headed for the door, "Gotta make sure I can stay awake long enough to get home…"

Sam was barely on his feet before the door swung shut behind her, and he could hear the engine of her motorcycle fading into the distance. _That was weird…_ he thought with a frown.

Suddenly, tiredness seemed to creep up on him as well, and with a yawn he headed for the stairs. He decided he'd reach out to Steve or Ryder in the morning…he doubted either of them had placed the call, but maybe they knew who did.

* * *

 **And there it is, chapter 18. I do not own any rights to the song "Hammer to Fall" whatsoever other than it's one of my favorite Queen songs. And, I still do not speak a word of French, so again I'm trusting the Bing translator, but this is how the paragraph should appear:  
"I should take probably take this, huh?" She said, before pulling the device out of her pocket. She slid her thumb across the screen as she said, "Hey. No, I'm fine…just talking with Sam. Yes, I showed him the burns…I told him about the nightmares…no I didn't pull the saranwrap off my arms." She rolled her eyes, "I told you I'd keep it on until I got back home. They'll be gone by morning…hey who would know better than me?" Her eyebrows went up, "Now that's uncalled for…because this time is different, that's why! Look, we'll settle this when I get home." With another roll of her eyes she ended the call and shoved her phone back in her pocket.  
I think that covers everything...constructive criticism is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed the most recent update.**


	19. Chapter 19

**See bottom of page for Author's Note**

* * *

"So, you didn't call Case last night around two thirty?" Sam asked as he followed Steve up the stairs to Case's apartment.

"Two thirty? Wasn't me," Steve shook his head, "At two thirty I was alone in a cabin in woods with Shar…" He cut off quickly as Sam's brows rose, and he cleared his throat as he tugged at the collar of his t-shirt, "Asleep…I was asleep."

"Hey, don't need to defend yourself to me," Sam said, raising both his hands in defense. "Sharon's a great lookin' girl…"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Anyway, no, I did not call Case at two thirty."

"You think it might have been Ryder?"

With a shake of his head, Steve said, "Nope. He's on a mission overseas with Clint…no communication until they return."

"Tony?"

"His house in Malibu…with Pepper. He's there if we need him but he said, _'be sure you don't need me'._ "

"I see."

"Yep."

"What about Natasha?"

"She's on a mission of her own."

Sam frowned, "I'm runnin' outta ideas. Someone called her at two-thirty…was it her dad?"

Steve shook his head with a frown, "Case and Logan haven't exactly been on the best of terms…"

"Really? Since when?"

"About when she started to get more of her memories back about Siberia," Steve said as they reached Case's door. "All I know is they went to see him about a month after Bucky resurfaced. It wasn't a happy meeting, and Ryder said it didn't end well."

"What happened?"

"Case didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I don't know," Steve admitted. "Case has been dead silent on the subject of Siberia, save for the fact she saw Bucky. I know she went into more detail with Ryder, but neither will tell me anything, other than they were beyond angry with something Logan did." He turned to the door and without further ado banged loudly on the door. He yelled through the wood, "Hey Case! You in there?"

"Subtle…I'm sure her neighbors are thrilled with you."

"Actually, her neighbors love me," Steve said with a smug smile. "Down the hall is Mrs. Connors, a lovely elderly woman who says I'm a sweetheart who is always so nice and polite."

"If she only knew the real you," Sam smirked.

Steve rolled his eyes then frowned at the door, "Case should've answered by now…maybe she's not home?"

"She said she was going home though," Sam's frown deepened as he pounded his fist against the door. "After that whole display she better have gone home!" After another five minutes of no answer, Sam pulled out his phone and dialed.

A few moments later they could hear footsteps creaking behind the door, and Case opened the door, a wet toothbrush in one hand, foam around her mouth, hair up in a messy bun and mint-colored earbuds dangling from her ears. With the hand she'd opened the door with she yanked one bud out of her ear, "Yes, Trouble Man?"

"Case, you missed a spot," Steve motioned at his own lip.

"I was brushing my teeth, what do you want?" Case said testily, wiping at the foam around her mouth.

"Err…" Steve rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked at Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes then brushed past Case into the apartment. "After last night, I wanted to make sure you were okay," He explained, turning to face her once inside her living room. "You seemed kinda…freaked out, I guess. And after that phone call you were acting really weird."

"Yeah, sorry about that…but look, absolutely fine," Case shrugged it off, holding out her arms. Instead of the baggy hoodie Case was wearing a simple gray tank-top, which showed off her arms completely, revealing no evidence they'd been injured at all. "Told you the burns would be gone soon."

"Burns?" Steve asked, as he walked in behind them and closed the door.

"Yeah, along with coming to my place at two thirty she was also covered in scald burns," Sam told him, then looked back at Case, "Who called you?"

"Call?" Case asked frowning in confusion.

"Case…don't screw with me," Sam snapped. "Who was it?"

"Sam, it doesn't matter—"

"Look…Case…I get that you don't want to share…but I'm worried about you," Sam said. "You don't sleep…you have nightmares that result in sleepwalking that causes physical injuries…and then you get a call from some random person…you don't speak English at all during the call and then book it the second I ask for clarification!"

Case chewed on her lip, clenched her free hand into a fist then relaxed it, even took a glance toward her bedroom door. Her shoulders finally slumped, and she opened her mouth, hesitated, then blurted, "Springfield Johnson."

Sam and Steve exchanged confused looks, before Steve repeated, "Springfield Johnson?"

"That's what I said, yeah," Case nodded. "He's a new friend of mine…and he's been trying to learn French…I'm the only person he knows well enough that has a good grasp of the language, so I've been helping tutor him. But he keeps odd hours, and so last night around two thirty was the only time he could meet."

"And he was the one that wrapped your arms?" Sam asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"No…that I did myself," Case admitted. "Did some googling, and they say when you have a scald burn and you go to the hospital to wrap it because saranwrap is see-through and doesn't stick to your skin."

Sam looked at Steve, both in exasperation and for help, but Steve took a breath and said, "We're going for a run…wanted to know if you wanted to come along?"

Case glanced at her bedroom door again, "Uh…yeah…just let me get changed."

As she disappeared down the hall, Sam turned to Steve, "What the—?"

"Hush," Steve hissed. When the door finally closed, Steve said in a low voice, "You're pushing."

Sam gave a sigh and rubbed at his eyes, "You're right…but she came to my place _burned_ Steve."

"I know…" Steve sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Look…I get it…when we first started living in the Avengers' Tower Jarvis woke me up a few times to pull her out of the shower too. I thought that had stopped. But…" His shoulders slumped, "If she won't talk…you know by now we can't force her."

"I know that, but this is different. Something's not right here," Sam said, folding his arms. "You _know_ that."

"Of course, I do!" Steve snapped, then lowered his voice again, "What do you want me to do about it? I can't _force_ Case to tell me…nor can Ryder. We try to force the issue she'll dig her heels in even further."

Sam gave a sigh of frustration and rubbed at his own eyes, "And what about this 'Springfield Johnson' nonsense…is that code for something?"

"Unless she's figured out a new one it's not something, I'm familiar with," Steve told him, "And the only one I knew of was their twenty-five high and low thing—" At Sam's confused look, Steve said, "Something from when we were kids…and anyway—"

"Alright, let's get going," Case called out as she opened her bedroom door. She was now dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, tugging her sneakers onto her feet as she made her way toward them.

They didn't say a word to each other as they made the trek down the stairs, or on their way to the Washington monument as they began their run for the day.

They'd already gone a few laps – Steve doubling the amount Sam and Case made around the monument and yelling out his customary "On your left!" as he raced on by – when Sam asked, "So are you ready to talk about the _Valkyrie_?"

Case gave a sigh as she jogged next to Sam, "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess…"

* * *

 **January 1945**

"Get down!" Ryder yelled out as he yanked Case backward and behind him as the small plane came crashing through the back of the _Valkyrie_ , screeching to a stop as it collided with the gears and platforms, sending shrapnel and dust into the air.

Both twins were dusting themselves off and picking bits of metal away as the hatch opened and Steve climbed out and hopped onto the remains of the platform, not making eye contact with the twins when he landed.

Ryder stared at him like he'd grown a second head, watching as he casually walked over to grab his shield, "That's _it_?"

Steve slid his left arm into the leather straps on his shield, before he turned to them, "What do you mean?"

"You just…" Ryder looked at Steve, then the opening he just blasted through, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're bleeding…did you hit your head?" Steve asked, motioning to his own temple.

"Did I hit my…?" Ryder lifted his hand to his temple, scowling when his fingertips came away stained with blood, "You…that's all you can say?"

"Well yeah…I mean, you're bleeding, and I get you can heal but—"

"Forget about me for a moment… _what the hell were you thinking?_ " Ryder roared. "You just…that plane took off with you hanging onto the _outside_ of it…do you even realize that you could've gotten yourself killed? I mean, seriously, grabbing hold of the plane like that! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ryder was referring to the smaller bomber planes that had been stored in the plane, when a few Hydra pilots appeared they had rushed to the cockpits of a few of the planes. Between the three of them they'd taken out quite a few but one had gotten into a plane that had been labeled _New York City_ and taken off out of a pod bay door, with Steve and another Hydra pilot clutching the outside.

Ryder then stopped ranting in English, opting to keep going on his rant in a stream of rapid-fire French, which made Steve cringe, "Ryder…I'm…I'm sorry!"

" _Désolé? Désolé? Tu penses que c'est assez pour t'excuser pour ça?_ " Ryder hissed, now advancing toward Steve with his hands balled into fists.

"Ryder, enough!" Case shouted at him. She walked in front of him, so she blocked his way to Steve, pushing a hand against his chest, "He gets the point…now calm the fuck down!"

Ryder was breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing as he glared at Steve, who was now holding his shield at the ready and gazing at him with concern-filled eyes _. "Punk,"_ He spat before turning on his heel and walking deeper into the ship.

Steve cast a nervous look at Case, who shook her head, "Don't start with me…now go."

Squaring his shoulders, Steve marched passed Ryder and led the way toward the cockpit of the _Valkyrie._

* * *

"So, Ryder finally snapped, huh?" Sam asked as they jogged.

"Oh yeah," Case nodded. "I think he was able to hold back because if any yelling needed to be done Bucky was there to take care of it."

"On your left!" Steve called out as he rushed passed.

"Plus, I think the stress of losing Bucky kinda got to him more than he wanted to admit," Case added. "Pile that on top of being now stuck on the _Valkyrie_ with no game plan, plus the thought of almost losing—"

"On your left!"

"—That _punk_ …I think anyone would have reached their limits," Case finished. "Although…he may also have hit his head when Steve crashed…couldn't actually see what had caused his head to start bleeding like that."

"On your left," Steve called out again, this time turning around, "You're not even trying, _slow poke_!"

Case gave a gasp, "That's it, come back here and say that to my face!"

Sam shook his head as he slowed to a stop, watching Steve's eyes get big as he turned tail and booked, Case slowly but surely gaining ground on him.

He couldn't help but smile as he faintly could hear Case yell, "I'll show you slow poke!"

Steve smirked as he called out, "On your left!"

"That doesn't even make sense right now!"

* * *

Steve quietly opened the door to the cockpit, and the three of them snuck in. Their footsteps made little noise as they made their way to the captain's chair, the room otherwise completely silent.

They could see the captain's chair dead center ahead of them, and in the middle of the room was a circular, almost tower-like structure, that glowed blue like the rest of Hydra's weapons – the way it had hoses attached that were leading down into the floor it looked like the structure served as a power source.

They whirled around at the sound of the high-pitched whine, and Case and Ryder dove out of the way as Steve raised his shield to block the blast from Schmidt's gun.

"You don't give up, do you?" The man shouted.

"Nope!" Steve roared back as he rushed on ahead. "Get to the controls!" he called as he engaged the Red Skull in a fight.

Case and Ryder scrambled for the control panel, trying to ignore the sounds of Steve grunting in pain as he took hit after hit.

"Can you fly this thing?" Case asked.

"We're about to find out, aren't we?" Ryder said, scanning the panel. "Thankfully I can read—"

"Look out!" Case shouted, and the two were diving out of the way again as Steve body-slammed Schmidt into the control panel.

The device emitted a shower of sparks as the ship tilted into a fierce nosedive.

"Ryder!" Case shouted as she flew upward toward the ceiling along with Steve and Schmidt.

Ryder got a grip on the panel and forced himself up, trying to figure out the right switches to flip.

A voice cleared his throat from behind him, and Ryder looked up at Schmidt, who was clutching at one of the overhead beams as he gave him a look that showed both boredom and disappointment. The red-skinned man reached out with a gloved hand and flipped a few switches, including one clearly marked _autopilot._

Ryder gave a growl of annoyance as the ship evened itself out, and with a roll of his eyes he stated, "I'd have found that eventually."

Schmidt scowled before giving him a solid kick in the face, gaining a grunt of pain from the mutant as he went flopping backward. Schmidt then pulled out his pistol with the glowing blue ammunition, taking aim at Steve and yelling out, "You could have the power of the gods!" He pulled the trigger and sent a blast of energy toward the super soldier, "Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations!"

Case made her way toward her twin, who was just regaining his bearings. His eyes were already ringed with purple and his nose was dripping blood, "Nice eyes…are you alright?" She whispered.

Ryder gripped at his nose, "Yeah…I'll be fine…give me a minute."

"We may not have that much time," Case said as she watched Steve continue to dodge the blasts.

"I have seen the future Captain!" Schmidt yelled out, "There are no flags!"

"Not my future!" Steve shot back. He took a leap off the platform he stood on, hit the floor in a somersault that allowed him to grip his shield, raising it to block the next blast from Schmidt. He then flung the shield at the man, catching him in the gut and sending him flying backward into the glowing tower in the center of the room.

When Schmidt connected, he damaged the structure, which let off blue bolts of electrical energy, and knocked loose a glowing blue cube.

"What have you done?" Schmidt hissed as he got to his feet. "No…!" He grasped the blue cube in his hand, and the object suddenly began glowing white.

It began letting off streams of energy, and just above it opened a field of stars, almost looking like a galaxy had appeared in the middle of the _Valkyrie._

"What the hell is that?" Ryder asked.

The cube continued emitting its own energy blasts, looking like it was overloading the system it had been previously connected to, as bolts of light traveled across the floor near Schmidt. Suddenly Schmidt's hand began to strip away the longer he held the cube.

The field began glowing brighter, causing all three of the others to shield their eyes.

Schmidt began to scream, and the cube gave off an energy blast that filled the room with blinding white light.

And as suddenly as it began, everything went quiet. As the trio looked up, they found Schmidt had vanished, and the cube melted through the floor and disappeared.

Steve walked over and picked up his shield, waiting for the cube to drop through the ship completely before making his way toward the captain's chair. He removed his helmet as he took his seat, struggling a bit as he spun the chair around. He adjusted the controls and noticed that one of the screens that said _New York City_ now simply showed a dotted line and an arrow.

"Alright…so…we figure out a place to land, right?" Case asked, standing at Steve's left as Ryder moved around to his right.

Steve looked up at her, his face streaked with dirt, his lip split and scabbed over, and his blue eyes filled with an emotion Case had never seen in them before.

"Oh God…" Case breathed, feeling tears fill her eyes.

"Check the other panels, see if we got any control over this thing," Steve ordered as he flipped another switch, and said, "Come in, this is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"

Morita's voice calmly responded, _"Captain Rogers, what is your—"_

" _Steve, is that you?"_ Peggy's voice interrupted. _"Are you alright?"_

"Peggy! Schmidt's dead!" Steve said, trying to regain control of the plane. He looked over at his left, but Case shook her head as she flipped switch after switch. He looked to his right, but Ryder didn't seem to be fairing any better.

" _What about the plane?"_ Peggy asked.

Steve flipped multiple switches, "That's a bit tougher to explain."

" _Give me your coordinates. I'll find you a safe landing site."_

"There's not gonna be a safe landing," Steve said, studying the screens on the control panel. "But I can try and force it down."

" _I'll, I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."_

"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York."

Case and Ryder walked up behind him, standing behind the captain's chair for now. They knew what was coming…it was inevitable at this point…but neither of them knew what to say to the other.

"I gotta put her in the water," Steve finally said.

Peggy sounded close to tears as she said, _"Please, don't do this, we have time, we can work it out—"_

"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere, if I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die!"

Case swallowed roughly as tears filled her eyes, "Dad's gonna be pissed…"

Ryder had tears in his eyes as well, "Yeah, well, when is he not pissed at us? Remember his reaction when we signed up for this?"

They walked up closer to Steve, Case again on his left and Ryder on his right as he said, "Peggy…this is my choice." He briefly turned off the radio as he looked up at his friends, "I'm so sorry—"

"No," Case shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks, "Don't say that…not now."

"We knew one of these missions could be a one-way trip," Ryder added, squeezing Steve's shoulder. "It's been a privilege serving with you, Captain…and it has been an honor calling you my friend."

"Here, here," Case said softly, and gave them both a watery smile.

"But—"

"Steve…it was our choice to be here," Case whispered, not able to speak any louder, "Don't…"

Steve gave a nod, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out his compass. He opened it to show Peggy's photo, as Ryder switched the radio controls back.

Case wrapped her arms around Steve, not wanting to strap herself in. What was the point now? She buried her face in his neck, as he grabbed the controls to put the ship back into its dive.

"Dammit!" Ryder hissed and latched onto them, gripping one of Case's arms behind Steve's back and latching his other to the strap keeping Steve in the chair.

Steve kept looking from one to the other, seemingly at a loss for words. His gaze kept going to the compass, and he finally said, "Peggy…"

" _I'm here."_

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."

His friends chuckled quietly and tearfully as they squeezed their arms around him tighter.

They could almost hear Peggy sniffling as she said, _"All right…a week, next Saturday at the Stork Club."_

"You got it."

" _Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late, understood?"_

The plane was picking up more speed, time was running out. Steve kept his eyes on the view in front of them as he said, "You know, I still don't know how to dance."

" _I'll show you how. Just be there."_

* * *

Case braced herself against the wall of the shower, blue and green tiles making little imprints in her palms. She stood under the almost too hot spray, letting the showerhead rinse the shampoo from her hair as she tried to chase away the bitter chill from her bones.

They'd cut the session – and run time – short that day, just before the actual crash. Steve had gone white as they'd reached that point and had just stopped running all together.

Sam was with him now, Case had insisted she'd be fine, that she just needed time to herself.

Steve's last words to Peggy still haunted her, _"We'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your…"_

He hadn't even gotten to finish his sentence…before the rest of the glass exploded, and water had filled the cockpit.

From what she could remember of it – and it wasn't much – it all happened in seconds. She'd been gripping Steve for dear life, then the sheer force of the water had made her lose her grip. There was a moment of panic, then she'd hit something solid…

"Ten minutes are up," A hand reached in from behind the shower curtain and started turning off the water.

"Can't be," Case said, shivering as he handed her a towel. "I just got in here."

"Ten minutes were up ten minutes ago…I told you if you didn't come out, I was coming in after you."

"I'd hoped for something more than this."

"Maybe next time," he replied before the door shut behind him.

Case gave a sigh and started drying off, wrapping her hair in towel as she got dressed, pulling on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. A pair of thick slipper socks completed the outfit – anything to keep her warm until the chill went away.

Once she was done, she threw the towel on the bathroom counter, telling herself she'd take care of it the following morning. She turned out the light and left the bathroom, joining her companion on the sofa…well, he was sitting on the sofa, she opted to sprawl out across his lap, causing him to give a grunt of discomfort as her cheek landed against his left thigh.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Case didn't look him in the eye, just rested her hands across his legs as she closed her eyes.

"Want to listen to music?"

"No."

"Want to watch something?"

"No."

"You really just want to sit in silence?"

"Yes."

"Shit…" He whispered, scrubbing a hand over his face. He then moved his hand to her back, rubbing up and down over it gently.

"Will you stay?"

He was silent for a moment and his hand stilled on her back, "Case…I don't…"

"Just for tonight," Case amended, her voice a little distorted from where her cheek was smashed into his leg. "I just want to make sure we don't have a repeat of last night."

He sighed, then went back to rubbing her back, "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, before Case turned her head and squinted, "Is that a thong on my ceiling fan?"

He looked up as well, "Uh…yes, I suppose it is."

"How did it get there?"

"I uh…got bored…and you had the laundry basket on the table and…I don't know…"

"You're getting that down from there before you leave."

"Yes ma'am."

"Flinging my underwear at ceiling fans…" Case grumbled under her breath.

"You call that underwear, but it looks like a slingshot to me."

Case just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

When he got no response, he asked, "Really? Nothing?"

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't know…" He admitted, before his hand drifted to her side instead, grabbing at a spot just under her ribs, a ghost of a smile quirking his lips as Case gave a squeak as she jumped. "A smile or something would be nice."

"I…I get…it," Case jerked with each pinch, and she cast a half-hearted glare his way as she said, "cut it out!"

"Sorry," He murmured, going back to rubbing at her back instead.

After a few moments of focusing on the hand circling her back, Case finally began to relax. His body was warm, as was his hand, and she practically melted into his touch. She finally started feeling the chill drift away as she mumbled into his jeans, "Thank you."

His hand stilled for a moment, before resuming the circles, "For what?"

Case thought that over for a moment. She hadn't really meant to say the words out loud…but now they were out there, she couldn't just shrug it off. But there was so much she wanted to say…and really didn't have the energy to say it now.

She reached for his left hand, lacing her fingers through his. This hand was cold…warmed by proximity and body heat, but colder than the rest of him. She turned her head to gaze up at him, and gave him a small smile as she said, "For coming back."

* * *

 **So, here's the next chapter of "Flashbulb Memories" – not sure how I did with this one, but I do hope it was worth the extended wait. We're finally finishing up with TFA, and it will lead into Avengers in the next couple of chapters. I'll try to have the next chapter a lot sooner this time.**

 **And, again, I don't speak French, but according to Bing translator, Ryder yelled this at Steve: Sorry? Sorry? You think that's enough to excuse you for this?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Welcome to Chapter Twenty. Again, I'm sorry about the extended wait…writer's block is a killer sometimes I swear…but here we are.**

 **I'll admit, this one kind of jumps around a bit…I had an idea and rolled with it. I hope you enjoy the newest installment of "Flashbulb Memories" – constructive criticism is appreciated as always.**

* * *

 **July 2011**

Ryder opened his eyes with a groan, blinking his eyes slowly as he took in his surroundings. The room was white, his vision slightly blurred as he noticed what looked like the shape of a window off to his right.

"He lives!" A familiar voice said in relief.

The blurred faces of his father and Steve came into his line of sight, each one slowly taking the shape of their owner.

"Damn…that was a crazy dream," Ryder groaned, reaching up to rub at his eyes. He gave another groan of pain as his arm felt like lead, but he managed to reach up and scrub his palm over his face, "What happened last night?"

The other two exchanged looks, before Logan asked, "What do you remember?"

"Had this weird dream about being on an airship…crashed into ice," Ryder grimaced. As he spoke his throat felt like sandpaper.

"Are you sure it was a dream?" Steve asked, sparing a glance at Logan. "When I crashed the airship?"

"Had to be…Red Skull disappeared after grabbing hold of a blue cube…" Ryder paused at Steve's words. "Wait…how did you know that?"

"It wasn't a dream, son," Logan said carefully, "That…that really happened, hard as it is to believe."

"So that means…" Ryder frowned, trying to get his mind to work. When no conclusions came to mind, he said, "What does that mean?"

"It means, as per the usual, you're the _last_ one to wake up after the sleepover party," Case finally spoke up, sitting at the foot of his bed. With a smirk she added, "I wanted to draw a mustache on your face, but Steve wouldn't let me."

"You didn't do enough of that when we were kids?" Ryder grumbled, trying to sit up.

Logan grabbed hold of his shoulders with a mumbled, "Easy," and helped him into a sitting position, adjusting the pillows behind him to make him more comfortable.

"Why the hell is that so difficult?" Ryder asked, as he relaxed against the pillows. "What the hell happened to us?"

The three of them exchanged nervous looks.

Apparently, Logan decided to take the lead, "Listen son…uh…a bit of time has passed since you guys crashed into the ice."

"Evidently," Ryder nodded, "How long? A few days? A few weeks? A month?"

"It's July thirty-first," Logan began.

"Wow…" Ryder's eyebrows went up. "A few months then—"

"Two-thousand and eleven," Logan finished.

Ryder blinked in confusion. Certainly, he hadn't heard that right…maybe he'd been injured worse than he thought. "Come again?"

Logan nodded, "It's been almost seventy—"

"That's impossible! You don't just…that was frozen water! Even if we hadn't drowned…" Ryder shook his head, "It's not…that's not possible…"

* * *

 **March 2015**

" _Wake up Howlett!"_

Ryder's eyes shot open, and again he took in his surroundings.

He was currently strapped into the Quinjet, the sky outside the glass dark and cloudy, and Clint Barton still had a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze, "You with me kid?"

"I'm sorry, and you're how old in comparison to me?" Ryder asked, cocking his eyebrows.

"Yep, you're fine," Clint chuckled, turning back to the controls. "Sorry for waking you…you were moaning. Mumbling about something being impossible…"

"Flashback…nightmare…I dunno what they are anymore," Ryder grumbled, "I still don't know how one can survive seventy years on ice like that…and _I'm_ one of the ones it happened to."

"I'm going to go with 'Mutant Genetics' for five-thousand," Clint said. "Considering half of my face is purple…and yours doesn't look like it's got a scratch on it."

"Fair I guess…" Ryder sighed. "Incidentally, are you doing alright?"

"Nothing the regular stay down in Medical won't cure," Clint answered with a sigh. "And have you asked out Natasha yet?"

"Let me guess…there's a betting pool going on?"

"We bet on everything…and I heard you were the one that won the pool for Steve."

"Null and void because Peggy was the one that made the move on him," Ryder explained. "Fracken bets from back then cost me forty bucks now…"

"Forty?"

Ryder gave a sigh, "I think I inadvertently helped Steve win the one we had on Case and Bucky."

Clint frowned at that, "What do you mean 'inadvertently'?"

Another sigh, "Before Zola took him…Bucky told me how he felt about Case. How he loved her, how he wanted to be the one to make her happy…couldn't really think of anyone else but her. Basically, everything I'd been hearing from Case about him for the past eleven years at the time."

"Eleven years?"

"She's been in love with him since she was fourteen," Ryder explained. "I don't even think _she_ realized it at the time…just kept going on and on about how pretty his eyes were." He chewed on his lip, "Anyway…he told me to tell her that. I told him he needed to tell her himself…he just kinda gave me a half-hearted 'okay' before he started coughing…" He scrubbed at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as he added, "Had a front row seat to watch him collapse and get dragged away by the guards the following morning."

"I'm sorry, man," Clint said softly, almost too quiet for even Ryder to hear.

Ryder waved him off, "It worked out in the end…at least for a bit, right? He told her how he felt and…"

He couldn't finish the sentence…couldn't even finish the thought. He knew how the story ended…where it was at now. Anytime he thought about it he still wished he'd gone in Bucky's place at the factory…

"Have you thought of talking to Sam about any of this?"

Clint's question dragged Ryder from his angsty thoughts, "What?"

"Look…I'm not trying to…" Clint hesitated, then said, "Most of the team agrees, Case and Steve are alike, both reckless idiots ready to step in front of a bullet if it means saving someone else because they have a higher likelihood of survival…and a lot of us think you and Bucky were the ones that were alike. Looking out for Steve and Case, keeping them in check before they did something they'd regret later."

"There is no way of keeping Steve and Case in check," Ryder told him. "Bucky looked out for Steve, the same way I look out for Case…but they're going to charge in guns a blazing…and you can either join them or deal with the aftermath, but you can't stop them."

"But back to my point…something nobody really sees, and probably because you don't allow it, is that you and Steve are alike. You try to fix things and if you can't fix them completely you let it drag you down like they're your worst failures. And when you talk about Bucky you both get this distant look on your faces…you blame yourselves for what happened to him, but it wasn't your fault. You could've gone in Bucky's place, sure...but Bucky was sick, you've said it yourself. It sounds to me like he lasted so long because he had you there with him…but had you gone in his place, he still would've gotten busted, and they'd have taken him anyway."

Ryder made a face, and mumbled, "Yeah, I know."

"And I just thought…since Sam works down at the VA and with him talking to Case and Steve…I dunno, maybe he might be able to help you too."

"I've been thinking about it…" Ryder admitted. "But he's got his hands full with them—"

"He works at the VA…three World War Two vets aren't going to put him over the edge," Clint smirked at him.

"Maybe…" Ryder sighed, "Maybe get some insight into these flashbacks…I swear half the time I wake up expecting someone to yell out for 'Corporal Howlett'…"

"So, Bucky outranked you."

Ryder gave a weak chuckle, "Yeah, 'a year older and a rank above…now hop to soldier'."

"Bit of a smartass too, wasn't he?"

"You have no idea," Ryder said, giving a yawn. "Part of his charm, I guess…"

Clint checked the controls, and flipped the switch for the autopilot, "We've still got a few hours to kill…go ahead and grab some more shut eye."

"Shouldn't—"

"Anything happens we'll be right here…systems will wake us up if we need to take care of something," Clint shrugged.

Ryder simply gave a nod at that and settled back in his seat.

It was quiet for a few moments before Clint said, "Hey Corporal?"

"What?"

"You never did answer my question about Natasha."

"Go to sleep Barton."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the ground in DC, the younger Howlett twin was wandering through the World War Two memorial in the National Mall park, dressed in the flannel pants and baggy hoodie she'd worn to bed, having only swapped out her thick socks for a pair of flip flops.

"Not every day I get a request to see someone and come alone," Sam's voice called out behind her. "Should I be worried?"

"Only because you think it's wise to try and sneak up on me," Case said, turning around to face him.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Case gave a weak grin, "No, no…just…had a bad nightmare. Needed to get out…and I made a promise to someone that I'd tell any nightmares I had to you…so here we are."

Sam cocked an eyebrow at her outfit, "I take it you just crawled out of bed? Nice hoodie by the way."

Case scowled and folded her arms over the large red and blue shield on the front of her sweatshirt, "Yeah, yeah…very funny. But yeah…"

"What happened?"

Case started walking, and Sam fell into step beside her. "I need…I need to get a few things off my chest. I don't want to go into too many details just yet…but…"

"Case, that's fine…I'm sorry about earlier, I was just worried—"

"I almost died in Siberia."

That stopped Sam dead…both with his words and in his tracks. "What?"

"You heard me," Case said flatly, before continuing her walk.

"But…I don't…how—" At Case's glare, Sam held up his hands, "Right…sorry…"

Her gaze softened, "Sorry I just…I'm still trying to process that one, alright? It's why I called…I…" She swallowed roughly…she could still smell the blood in the air, and she hadn't been able to move for a few minutes after she'd woken up.

"Case…?"

"I'm not alright," Case said, tears filling her eyes. "I want to be…I don't want to be this…walking disaster of a person. And if it was just the almost dying part…that would be different…but it's not."

"What is it then?"

Case shoved her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, closing her eyes and causing the tears to roll down her cheeks. When she opened them, she took a deep breath and said, "My father lied to me…lied to me and Ryder. He lied to us since we were five years old…"

"About what?"

Case gave a snort, "He knew my mother is alive…and to some extent…he knew where she was."

"Wait… _is_?" Sam repeated. "I thought your dad…well where the hell is she? Where was she this whole time?"

Case shook her head, "I can't speak for where she was the _whole_ time…but apparently when Ryder and I were five she went back to some of her old associates…I believe you might be familiar with their motto? _'Cut off one head, two more shall take its place?'_ "

* * *

 **And there you have it...for now.**

 **See you in Chapter Twenty-One.**


	21. Chapter 21

***GASP* Could it be? An update so soon?**

 **Yes, it is, my friends…Chapter Twenty-One is here! Let's just see if I can keep up with this streak huh?**

* * *

Ryder cracked one eye open when he heard his cell phone ding. Checking the clock, he noticed it was 2:45 AM – he and Clint had landed around midnight, and Ryder had said everyone else could "Fuck Off" because he was going to bed.

Apparently, whoever was texting him didn't get the memo…which meant it was a member of his family.

 _Oh joy…_

He stuck a hand out from under his blanket and grabbed the blasted device, currently cursing whoever decided it was a good idea to invent the damned thing and slid his phone across the screen. It was from an unknown number, but the message was clear – _Livraison pour le caporal Howlett_.

 _Delivery for Corporal Howlett._

With a groan Ryder scrubbed a hand over his face, hauling himself out of bed stretching his back and frowning when it popped at least three times.

"God I'm getting old…" He murmured.

" _May I suggest a chiropractor or massage therapist?"_ Jarvis's voice cut in pleasantly, causing Ryder to nearly jump out of his skin, _"I know Sir has quite the collection—"_

"I'm sure he does," Ryder cut the AI off mid-sentence. "Rain check, Jarvis…"

" _Although may you'd prefer taking Agent Romanoff up on her offers—"_

"Good _night_ , Jarvis," Ryder rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath in French as he got out of bed.

" _I do believe Sir would take it as quite the offense if you attempted to dismantle me, Corporal,"_ Jarvis's voice added as Ryder grabbed his discarded jeans.

Ryder was pulling his t-shirt over his head as he responded, " _Sir_ could easily rebuild you in the middle of a blacked-out stupor."

" _While true, we would both prefer if you did not attempt the act."_

"Gotcha," Ryder nodded, pocketing his phone as he left the bedroom. He headed for the elevator, grabbing his discarded leather jacket from the sofa as he passed, shoving his arms into it as the elevator doors hissed shut.

" _May I inquire as to where you're heading at this hour, Corporal Howlett?"_

"Nothing you need to worry about, Jarvis," Ryder told the AI. "And did Barton tell you to start calling me that?"

" _Agent Barton informed Sir of the title,"_ Jarvis responded.

"Of course, he did…" Ryder gave a sigh. The doors hissed open, and Ryder stepped into the parking garage, "Have a good night, Jarvis."

" _Be safe sir."_

Ryder walked over to where his bike was parked – a gleaming black Harley Davidson – noticing the spots where Steve's Harley and Case's Ninja usually sat were empty, meaning they were still in DC.

He straddled his bike and revved the engine, speeding out of the garage and into the night.

The meeting had been set months ago – Ryder knew what he was looking for and knew what wheel to grease to get what he wanted. He already knew the meeting spot – he had booked it, set up the room, and paid in cash – all that was left to do was wait.

And wait he did…until he got the go ahead.

Which is why he now raced at top speed out of the city and to a tiny little motel in the middle of nowhere.

When he turned into the dusty parking lot Ryder parked his bike in the empty space directly in view of the room, before walking over and knocking on the door.

" _Quel est votre numéro?"_ a voice barked from the other side.

" _Vingt-cinq."_ Ryder responded in kind.

" _Supérieur ou inférieur?"_

" _Supérieur."_

The door opened, and Ryder stepped inside, walking into the middle of the room and standing between the single queen-sized bed in the room while the other man shut the door behind him.

"Lock it," Ryder said simply as he turned to face him.

"I know how to do this," Victor Creed rolled his eyes, sliding the locks into place. His dark hair was long and tied back in a ponytail, his face covered in a full beard, and his thick fingernails were at least an inch long. "I _taught_ you how to do this if you recall…not to mention I have _quite_ a few years on you to begin with—"

"Do you have it?" Ryder asked, cutting of the sentence.

Victor gave a sigh and gave a bob of his head as he said, "On the table."

Ryder gave a nod and walked over to the scratched table, seeing the cream-colored folder, "Similar to the file we got on Bucky."

"Then I'm sure it came with the same warning."

"I don't wanna pull that thread?"

"Right."

Ryder shrugged, pulling the file closer to him. "You're sure it's everything?"

"Outside of anything you can get from Case or Barnes."

"Well Barnes is in the wind," Ryder told him, "If he even remembers enough…and Case isn't talking." He flipped open the top, seeing the personnel picture SHIELD had on file for Case. "How do you know it's not junk?"

"I got it from the source."

Ryder closed the folder, "Mom…you got this from Mom."

Victor gave a nod, "Yeah…she says she tried to scrub all existence of Case from the records, but she said it should all be in there."

"Great…I'll have a look at this and let you know if I need anything else," Ryder said, grabbing the folder.

He was almost to the door when Victor barked, "Sit down."

"I'm in a hurry—"

" _Now."_

Giving a small growl of annoyance, Ryder took one of the seats at the scratched table, slapping the folder back onto the surface. "What do you want now?"

"You know…I don't appreciate this new attitude of yours," Victor began as he took the empty chair across from him.

Ryder gave a snort, "Don't really give a shit, Uncle."

"Look, your problem is with your parents, not _me_ ," Victor snapped at him. "So, do us both a favor and stop acting like a spoiled child."

That made Ryder's eyebrows go up, and he leaned forward in the chair, "A spoiled child? Really?"

"You're throwing a tantrum like one."

"A tantrum? Is that what you call this?" Ryder asked, and jabbed his finger into the folder on the table. "Two years ago, my sister was kidnapped by Hydra, then given back beaten to hell with adamantium fused to her skeleton."

"I'm well aware of what happened—"

"So, then you also know one of my best friends fell off a train in nineteen forty-five," Ryder cut in. "Spent the next seventy years being ripped apart repeatedly by the same organization."

"What happened was not—"

"There were pictures _and_ videos that went online when Black Widow did the information dump," Ryder added. "And a face I haven't seen in _ninety_ years is clear as day in _many_ of them. You have no idea how many times I've listened to her scream _'Soldat!'_ and start barking orders…and then Bucky starts screaming."

"Ryder—"

"Case said she was never put in the metal monstrosity to erase her memories…and I believe her. Which means _Mom_ did something to her. And I can only imagine how Case felt when she saw Mom in Siberia…and to find out about Bucky like that? Not to mention having the memories be erased so she can relive the debacle all over again? This isn't a tantrum, sir, it's fucking _rage_."

"I get that…but it's not _us_ you're mad at."

"Bullshit it's not."

"You're mad at your mother," Victor told him. "And you have every right to be."

"Then don't fucking accuse me of throwing a temper tantrum."

"I will when you come in here and get all short with me," Victor snapped. "That I don't deserve. Your mother has done a lot of questionable things in the past…but I am not _her_."

"Questionable is putting it lightly."

"And Jimmy and I had nothing to do with it."

"Did you know?"

"I just said—"

"You said you didn't have anything to do with it," Ryder snapped. "That doesn't mean you didn't _know_. The both of you knew she was still alive…what else have you lied about?"

Victor's eyes narrowed, and his shoulders squared as he snarled, "No, we didn't. Over the years I was asked to keep tabs on your mother for your father and for Fury, yes…but I didn't know about Barnes. And Jimmy sure as hell wouldn't have stood for it if he'd known."

That appeased him somewhat. While he was still unsure of his dad, his Uncle Victor hadn't ever really lied to him in the past – and Logan had already confirmed he'd told Victor to stay quiet about the subject…and upset though he was at the man Ryder _knew_ Logan wouldn't have left Bucky to be tortured by Hydra all those years.

Victor took a deep breath to calm himself down, and he said, "Case is going to hate you went behind her back like this."

Ryder gave a roll of his eyes as he said, "Case is too pissed off at the situation to face what happened."

"I guess this is a bad time to mention that Kayla also wants to see you."

Ryder's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair, "Come again?"

"Your mother wants to see you."

"Not a chance in hell."

"That's what I told her…but she seemed so desperate, so I told her I'd forward the message," Victor gave a shrug. "She wanted me to ask you to think long and hard about it…to not make any rash decisions."

"Rash decisions?" Ryder gave a snort of disbelief. "That's a good one…not the fact I've got ninety years' worth of reasons _not_ to see her."

"Your mother doesn't see it that way."

"Of course, she doesn't…but then, how would she? She abandoned us."

"She stayed away because of Jimmy."

"She chose Hydra over us…it doesn't justify it just because Dad told her to stay away. _I_ would have told her to stay away if I was in his position." When Victor opened his mouth again, Ryder snapped, "Don't tell me some cock and bull story about protecting us. They already had Dad on their radar, let alone her. We weren't safe no matter what, and you know that. If what she pulled kept us that much safer Dad wouldn't have moved us to Brooklyn in the first place."

Victor sighed, and gave a quiet, "I know."

Ryder shook his head, "Look. I really have no interest in seeing her at all. And while I can't speak for Case personally, I'd say it's a safe bet that after _everything_ that's happened it will cause bodily injury to her if Mom is in the same tri-state area."

"I figured…but she is your mother."

"No, she's not," Ryder told him. "Sarah Rogers and Winifred Barnes stepped in as my mothers growing up. Kayla Silverfox is the woman that gave me blue eyes and the ability to hypnotize people with my hands…and if you ask Case, she'll say the same thing."

"Except she takes after Logan with the claws," Victor pointed out.

"And thanks to her also the adamantium."

Victor sighed, and after a few minutes of silence he added, "Look, kid, I'm sorry. Maybe we should have been up front…but that was Jimmy's call. And I don't think he was thinkin' straight after your mother left to begin with…he was _still_ dealing with his own issues with the adamantium fusion and without your mother…I don't think moving to Brooklyn was simply about protecting you, although it did play a factor."

"He told us he didn't want her to know where we were."

"I think his own experiences with Hydra colored his thinking, whether he remembered it or not," Victor concluded. "He's never been to clear on _what_ came back to him though."

"He trusted _you_."

"I don't think he did at the time," Victor shook his head. "Took Jimmy and I a while to put the past behind us. Us serving in the war helped…gave him someone to bitch to when he found out about you four being _Howlies_ …"

Ryder gave a chuckle at the old nickname for the group.

Then his uncle's face dropped as he said, "And it gave him someone to lean on when you didn't come home."

Ryder's gaze went to the table, and he thumbed at the side of the folder, choosing not to respond.

"I get that you're angry…and like I said you have every right to be. Your mother is your mother…we can't change that, and I'm not even going touch that sore spot with a hundred-foot pole. Your dad on the other hand…he _was_ trying to look out for you, to keep you safe." When Ryder finally met his gaze, Victor gave him a small smirk, "Just keep that in mind the next time you tell him to 'fuck off' alright?"

Ryder couldn't help the tiny smile that formed as he gave a nod, "I'll consider it."

"That's my boy," Victor sat back in his chair, making it creak loudly. "Cheap ass fucking things, aren't they?" he added, eyes going to the chair.

"Whole place is cheap," Ryder pointed out. "Room's paid for the night, if you want it it's yours…I'm going home and going to bed." He got to his feet and stretched, his back popping a total of four times as he did.

"You're getting old, kiddo," Victor smirked at him.

Ryder picked up the folder and scowled at his uncle, "Yeah, yeah…"

"And get a haircut and a shave," Victor added with a laugh.

"Fuck off," Ryder rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

 **I know Victor Creed is probably very OOC – I was basing him off how I remember from the X-Men Origins movie, plus the backstory for the character is very different from that point forward, and Ryder is family not a stranger, so the personality and responses seemed to fit for this chapter. I hope I did a good job with the conversation.**

 **Another thing I want to address – mostly because I keep forgetting to and I apologize for that. The backstory of this fic, which isn't as flushed out as I'd thought, poor writing on my part that I'm trying to piece together, is that key events of X-Men Origins Wolverine (movie version) still occurred, although set in 1917. Instead of Stryker fusing Logan with the adamantium, it was Zola. Another part was that although Logan lost some of his memories, he didn't lose all of them – he remembered that he lived with and loved Kayla Silverfox, but he lost the memories of Victor faking her death and everything with Hydra that followed got erased.**

 **Oh, and before I forget, again, I'm working with Bing translator, but this is the translation:**

" _What's your number?"_ a voice barked from the other side.

" _Twenty-five."_ Ryder responded in kind.

" _Higher or lower?"_

" _Higher."_


	22. Chapter 22

**So apparently, I was wrong about the update time…but here it is, Chapter Twenty-Two. I'll start working on Twenty-Three ASAP.**

 **Any constructive criticism is appreciated.**

* * *

 **May 2012**

Case slammed the door of the office harder than she should have – and knew the receptionist was giving her a death glare as she left.

Never had she been so angry – _what the hell is wrong with people?_

Suicidal…okay, so maybe in the wrong context saying you don't want to live without someone wasn't the best thing to say to a shrink…but they asked for honesty. How in the world was she supposed to work through this stuff if they jumped to the wrong conclusions without getting all the facts?

Sure, she didn't want to live without Bucky…she grew up with him, she'd fallen in love with him…he was her _first_. But Bucky was _gone_ , and he wasn't coming back. It was difficult…it was painful, but it was a fact.

And Case was also a woman who felt that if her heart stopped beating, she'd want every doctor in the state of New York jumping up and down on her chest to get it going again. She wasn't done living yet – and had no intentions of ending her life herself.

But even the most rational feelings about the subject didn't stop Case from getting so depressed she couldn't get out of bed in the morning…or the days where she stayed in her pajamas and fell back asleep on the couch instead, days where if she wasn't sleeping, she was sobbing her eyes out.

 _How the hell am I supposed to deal with this shit if the shrinks tell me I'm something I'm not?_ Case thought as she left the building where her therapist's office was and drifted into the semi-crowded sidewalk. _I'm looking for help with my problems…I don't need to label them I need to deal with them._

"Ask for her number you moron!"

Case hadn't realized how far she'd gone until she heard the elderly man's voice. It drew her eyes to the sidewalk café to her right, and her scowl turned into an amused grin when she saw Steve sitting at one of the tables wearing a confused look. She marched over and took the empty seat across from him, "Hey Steve."

"My mistake, good for you," the elderly man said to Steve before going back to his food.

"Do I want to know?" Case asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's not important," Steve said, giving her a small smile. "How was the appointment?"

Case's grin dropped into another scowl.

"That good huh?"

"I really don't want to talk about it—"

"Oh, I'm sorry," A young woman with long blonde hair suddenly appeared by the table, holding a pot of coffee. "I didn't know he was waiting for someone—"

"Oh no," Case shook her head, "No, no he wasn't waiting for me…I was leaving an appointment and saw my pal here…just thought I'd come say hello."

"Oh, I see," The girl smiled in a friendly way, then turned toward Steve, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Now the gentleman's words made sense, and Case gave Steve a pointed look.

"Uh, yes," Steve nodded, then turned back to the waitress, "Can I get the check please?"

Case gave a groan as the girl left, and the man from the other table asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"We've been asking him that for years," Case told him.

"Hey!" Steve snapped with a frown.

"Love ya, Stevie," Case said with a cheeky grin.

Steve rolled his eyes, "Look…I've got an idea for how to get rid of some tension…wanna join me?"

Case gave a shrug, "What else am I gonna do? Wait for Ryder to get home?"

"Well you could wait for Iron Man to fly by," Steve added. "My new friend said he usually flies by on a regular basis."

"Who's Iron Man?"

* * *

 **May 2015**

Tony gave a gasp and clutched at his chest dramatically, "You wound me Howlett!"

Case rolled her eyes, "I hadn't met you yet, Stark…only met your dad, and all I saw him fly was a plane."

The group was Case and Steve, Sam, Natasha, Clint, and Tony. They were seated at Case's dining table, playing a game of poker while relaxing for the evening.

"Still…" Tony said as he took a swig out of the beer bottle beside him. " _Everyone_ should know who I am by now."

"Everyone _does_ know your name, Stark," Natasha rolled her eyes.

"It's just you won't let us forget it, either," Case added as she dealt the next hand.

Tony blinked at her as he straightened his cards, "Why the hell would you want to?"

"Hey, are we talking about the 'how you met' story or are we going into Tony and his ego?" Sam asked as he placed his bet. "Because that topic is gonna take someone that's way above my pay grade."

"Right," Case nodded. "Tony, shut up. Steve, let's continue."

* * *

The gym was empty, save for the two of them. Pieces of workout equipment were moved off to the side in designated areas, there was a large boxing ring ready with a set of gloves tied to one of the ropes.

Case was helping Steve get ready for his workout, had already hung up a bag for herself and was now gathering more bags and lining them up next to Steve's spot.

"You know…I saw these two women walk out of a gym a few blocks over from our apartment," Case was saying as she helped Steve carry another punching bag to the group. "You should've seen what they were wearing! These legging things and just bras! Seriously, when did bras become shirts?"

"Really? _Just_ the bra nothing else?" Steve asked with a blush coloring his cheeks.

"Leggings, Steve…well, then again…" Case shook her head. "But I think you missed the point of my question."

"Case, I was never that clear on women's fashions in _our_ day…let alone now," Steve pointed out as he hung one of the punching bags from the ceiling. "As for when a brassiere became acceptable as a shirt? You're looking at the wrong man for that."

* * *

"This from the man that ran around the battlefield in a red white and blue suit," Clint said, drawing a card. " _And_ began his career in tights."

"Doesn't mean I know a damn thing about fashion," Steve pointed out.

"We'll get you there, Cap. Hell we updated Case's wardrobe just fine," Natasha pointed out.

"I'm well aware, I've seen the thongs hanging from the ceiling fan in her apartment in DC," Steve rolled his eyes.

Case's cheeks turned red, "Nobody needed to know about that _Steven_."

"Then don't fling your underwear at ceiling fans, _Cassidy._ "

"I didn't…" Case started, then cringed and took a swig of her drink instead. "Let's just continue, alright?"

* * *

"Steve…"

Steve kept hitting the bag, the force of his punches increasing as well as the speed. The look on his face was intense – wherever he was in his head, it wasn't a good place.

"Steve…!" Case tried again. She abandoned her own punching bag, and started to make her way toward him, "Steve!"

His last punch sent the bag flying across the room, sending a cloud of sand into the air. He looked up at Case as he caught his breath.

She just stared at him with raised eyebrows, "Get rid of tension, huh?"

The super soldier didn't respond, just walked over to the row of bags and grabbed a new one, hanging it up as a replacement bag.

He didn't say a word as he began his punches again.

Case gave a sigh and her shoulders slumped as she started walking back toward her bag.

"Trouble sleeping?" A new voice called out.

The two turned toward the doorway, seeing Nick Fury begin to walk toward them.

Steve went back to his punches, "I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill."

"Then you should be out celebrating. Seeing the world."

Steve looked at Case and gave a nod of his head, before walking away from the bag and Fury, pulling at the bindings over his hands. "When we went under, the world was at war. We wake up, they say we won…they didn't say what we lost."

Case sat down on the bench next to their gym bags, watching Steve unwrap his hands as Fury got closer.

"We've made some mistakes along the way," Fury admitted as he came to a stop near Steve. It was then that she noticed Fury was carrying a folder in his hand, as he added, "Some very recently."

Steve eyed the folder for a moment before he returned his focus to his hands. "Are you here with a mission, sir?"

"I am."

"Trying to get us back in the world?"

"Trying to save it," Fury corrected him, and opened the folder, handing it directly to Steve.

Case got to her feet as Steve took the folder, holding it so she could see the contents. The top page showed the SHIELD logo in the upper left corner, SHIELD Level 7. It was a picture of a blue glowing cube in a carrying case. "The Tesseract," Case murmured.

"Hydra's secret weapon," Steve said, glancing at her before going back to the documents.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you," Fury told them as they took a seat on the bench. "He thought what we think. The Tesseract could be the key to unlimited, sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

"Who took it from you?" Steve asked as he handed the file back to Fury.

"He's called Loki. He's…not from around here," Fury explained. "There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten stranger than you already know."

Steve looked at Case, who gave him a small knowing smirk in response. He nodded his head at the bags, and both got up, Steve adding, "At this point I doubt anything would surprise me."

"Ten bucks says you're wrong," Fury stated calmly. "There's a debriefing packet waiting for you back at your apartment."

Steve had his gym bag in one hand and hoisted one of the heavy bags onto his shoulder, not bothering to address Fury. Case struggled to hoist one of the bags into the air, mumbling _"_ _Frimer_ _."_

" _Entendu que,"_ Steve responded in kind.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?" Fury asked as they walked away.

"You should've left it in the ocean," Steve told him.

* * *

Ryder Howlett stood alone in the gym of the Avengers' Tower. His shoulder length brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he stood in just a pair of gym shorts and his sneakers, hands wrapped tightly as the threw punch after punch at the heavy bag.

He was trying to get everything out of his head…he needed to do something, or he was going to burst.

He didn't bother looking back when he heard the doors open, nor did he look when he caught the familiar scent in the air. He paused for just a moment as he said, "I wanted to be _alone_ , Natasha."

"I know," Natasha said as she walked further into the room. She stood on the other side of the bag in his line of sight, dressed in a plain t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, with her red hair pulled up in a messy bun on her head. "Thought maybe you'd be up for a sparring match."

"Nope," Ryder said, resuming his punches. He could practically feel the assassin's gaze going over him, and he closed his eyes and tapped the bag with one of his fists, " _Why_ are you staring at me?"

"You have scars on your back," Natasha explained.

Ryder gave a nod, "Yes…six puncture wounds. Three on the right, three on the left."

"Do you have any others?"

Ryder spread his arms so she could see the rest of his torso, "Do you see any?"

Natasha's eyebrows went up, "No…nice set of muscles, but no scars."

"There ya go," Ryder rolled his eyes, before going back to the heavy bag.

"Where'd you get them?"

"Case…we were five when our mutations presented themselves," Ryder said, throwing punch after punch. "We were in the school yard…it happened so fast neither of us really remembers what happened…all I know is we both tripped, and I felt this stabbing pain in my back."

"Case literally stabbed you in the back?"

"On accident…she didn't know what she could do," Ryder explained. "We really didn't know what our parents could do either…I think they thought if we _were_ like them our mutations wouldn't present themselves until we were older."

"You're lucky you heal like Logan."

"You're tellin' me," Ryder admitted. "When they separated us…Case sobbed out an apology and booked. Found her a few hours later stuck in a tree."

"A tree?"

"We lived in a wooded area…and she didn't know how to retract the claws. Apparently, she'd climbed up and managed to jam the claws into the trunk of the tree and couldn't get loose," He gave a small smile at the memory, then cocked his head as he noticed Natasha giving a small smile of her own, "What?"

"That's the first smile I've seen in the last two months," Natasha pointed out.

Ryder felt his shoulders slump, "Look…it's just…with all this Bucky and Case and Hydra and…" He shook his head and gave a sigh, "It's a lot to sort through."

"I warned you not to pull that thread."

"Thread had already been pulled, Romanoff," Ryder pointed out. "It was already ready to unravel the second they nabbed Case." He chewed on his lip, then said, "Look…I need help with something. I've been looking into it the last two months, and I can't get too far in without going into a fit of rage. Hence why I'm beating the bag. Think you can give me a hand?"

Natasha thought that over, "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"Before we do that, you come to Case's floor and play a few rounds of poker with us," Natasha said with a smile.

The side of Ryder's mouth curled up in a small grin, "Alright…let me shower and we'll head up."

"I was gonna say…you're smelling a little ripe," Natasha said with a small laugh.

"Shut it," Ryder threw over his shoulder as he headed for the showers.

He got cleaned up quickly and was back in front of Natasha in less than ten minutes, fully dressed and dragging a comb through his hair. "God, I need to cut this…"

"I dunno, I kinda like it," Natasha said as they entered the elevator, "It's a good look for you."

"Yeah I guess…" Ryder rolled his eyes. "They still playing cards up there, Jarvis?"

" _Still going strong, sir,"_ Jarvis replied. _"Although Sir, Barton, and Wilson are all rather inebriated at the moment."_

"Good thing we all live here…"

They reached Case's floor within moments, just in time to hear her yell out, "Really Tony? You _really_ wanna know what happened?"

"Yes, Howlett!" Tony snapped. "Refrigerator door handles don't just snap off every day!"

"Fine! I was giving Bucky a blowjob, and he got a little too excited and he ripped the handle off the refrigerator with his left arm!"

Ryder flinched, "Changed my mind…we're going downstairs to my place instead…"

The doors closed just as Tony yelled out, "Dammit Howlett, if you're gonna make up stories at least make it believable!"

* * *

 **And now we have officially reached "The Avengers" …also as per the norm I do not speak French at all, but the translation for Steve and Case:**

Case struggled to hoist one of the bags into the air, mumbling _"Show off."_

" _Heard that,"_ Steve responded in kind.


	23. Chapter 23

**Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Three. Sorry about the wait, again, "Avengers" is proving a bit trickier to write than "The First Avenger" – I'll get chapter Twenty-Four up and running ASAP.**

* * *

 **May 2012**

The plane was quiet, filled with the sound of radio chatter.

Case sat sandwiched between Steve and Ryder and kept reciting the Rosary as she tried to calm herself down. She'd survived one of her worst fears when it came to flight – after all, Steve _had_ crashed the _Valkyrie_ into the Arctic – this flight should be a piece of cake…although that didn't stop her from latching on and hugging Steve's right arm for dear life.

Agent Phil Coulson, the man who'd met them to lead them onto the screaming metal deathtrap they were currently seated in, didn't say anything as he remained focused on a screen opposite them with headphones covering his ears.

"Case, I can't feel my arm anymore," Steve murmured to her.

"Sorry," She said with a cringe, keeping her grip on her friend's arm.

"I think he means you can let go of him now," Ryder said from her right.

Case gave a nod and slowly unlatched her arms from around Steve's, and he flexed his arm as he held the square tablet Coulson had handed to him.

It looked like a rectangular piece of glass, it was even transparent, but it showed reports and videos of a large green monster, and a small image of a man with dark hair in the upper right corner. All the information described a Doctor Bruce Banner, who due to his experiments with gamma radiation was now able to transform into said giant green beast and wreak havoc in the city.

" _We're about 40 minutes out from Home Base sir."_

Coulson pulled the headphones from his ears and got to his feet as he faced them, walking over to stand near Steve.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?" Steve asked him.

"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero," Coulson explained. "Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

The green beast roared in the video, and Steve said, "Didn't really go his way, did it?"

"Not so much. When he's not that _thing_ though the guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

All three heads looked up at him, faces blank and a little confused.

"He's like a…smart person."

They exchanged looks amongst themselves, then shrugged it off and went back to the screen.

"I gotta say…it's an honor to meet you…officially," Coulson added. "I sort of met you…I mean…I watched you while you were sleeping."

The Howlett's were biting their lips to keep from laughing, and Steve gave an awkward smile before he got to his feet.

"I mean…I was…I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, really it's just a…just a huge honor to have you on board this…" He walked over to stand next to Steve by the pilots' seats.

"Well I hope I'm the man for the job," Steve said pensively.

"Oh, you are. Absolutely," Coulson was quick to assure him. He made sure to look back toward the twins, "You _all_ are, actually…"

"Great," Ryder nodded, watching the guy turn his gaze back to Steve.

"We've made some modifications to the uniform…I had a little design input," Coulson added with a hint of pride in his voice.

"The uniform?" Steve asked, "Aren't the stars and stripes a little…old fashioned?"

"Everything that's happening? The things that are about to come to light?" Coulson paused for a moment, "People might just _need_ a little old fashioned." He turned toward the Howletts, "We have suits for each of you as well…SHIELD issued of course."

"Of course," Case nodded.

* * *

 **May 2015**

"Ugh…I am never drinking again," Barton groaned as he left the elevator.

Sam and Case sat in the common area of the Avengers' Tower, both sitting with cups of coffee and giving identical frowns at the archer as he stumbled toward the coffee maker.

"Didn't he say that last poker night?" Sam asked.

"He's said it the last three," Case reminded him.

"Fuck off, both of you," Barton grimaced.

"You've said that the last _four_ ," Case pointed out.

Barton gave another groan – this time out of frustration – and headed back toward the elevator, mug of steaming coffee in tow.

"Anyway, so…where were we?" Case asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

"I have a couple of questions before we continue," Sam said. "First of all, why are you so afraid of flying?"

Case gave a shrug, "Best theory I can come up with is certain personality traits are genetic. A predisposition to a fear of flying. My dad can't stand flying at all."

"It's possible…"

"Yeah…I mean logically speaking, there was the whole _Valkyrie_ crash…but I was terrified of flying even before that," Case admitted. "I guess I'm just a person who likes having their feet on the ground. Cars…trucks…and now, motorcycles, are more my speed. I'll go into the air if I have to…I just really don't want to."

"And the famous Wolverine is afraid of flying?"

"Oh yeah…if he has to fly in Xavier's jet, he's white-knuckled to anything he can get his mitts on," Case told him. "I prefer a subtler approach…and I blast music in my ears from my iPod."

"Didn't you lose that last year in Berlin?"

"Nope…got it upstairs," Case said as she drained her mug.

Sam watched her get to her feet and head for the coffee maker for more, when he said, "But you searched _everything…_ I remember because you turned your coat pockets inside out, came close to shredding the coat to find it…you emptied your suitcase and actually _kicked_ it across the room when you couldn't find it."

Case gave a shrug, "Found it in my closet in DC. Must've missed it in my search…"

"Case you cried for three days…you _mourned_ the damned thing."

"I made a mistake…and I was overly dramatic, it happens," Case admitted.

Sam pinched at his eyes as Case resumed her seat across from him. "Secondly…I didn't know you were Catholic."

Case took a sip from her mug and said, "I'm not."

"But you recite the rosary prayers during flights…"

"Winnie and Sarah tried to get us to convert…they raised their sons Irish Catholic, I think they thought something was missing in our lives without religion."

"Didn't stick for you guys, huh?"

"Not the organized religion part…but praying to a higher power helps me get through some of the rougher flights I must admit," Case explained. "I use the Rosary because it's what I know…something to focus on."

Sam hummed thoughtfully at that, then asked, "And third…how many languages do you speak?"

Case frowned thoughtfully as she counted, "Eight fluently…two enough to get by if need be, so about ten total. But mainly French and English."

"Why French?"

Case gave a shrug, "I'm Canadian…we were born in Alberta. The two languages went hand in hand…and Ryder and I have been speaking it since we were kids." She lifted her mug to her mouth to take a drink, "When we're stressed, we do it by default."

"Yeah I've noticed…"

"There's worse things to do when you're stressed…just be thankful I don't hide in closets anymore." Before Sam could ask any further questions on that subject, Case added, "So…speaking of switching languages while stressed…"

* * *

 **May 2012**

"Stow the Captain's gear," Coulson said as the four of them walked down the ramp of the plane.

They'd landed on an enormous aircraft carrier, stamped with the SHIELD insignia. Crewmen and soldiers alike were bustling around the deck, rushing about in an organized chaos. Fighter jets were parked along the edges of the deck, ready and waiting for their pilots.

There was a woman approaching them, decked out in dark blue jeans and a leather jacket, her red curls bouncing around her head with every purposeful step she took.

" _Elle est mignonne_ ," Ryder said as the redhead approached.

" _Garçon que cette fille va vous casser en deux_ ," Case told him.

" _Toujours envie de sortir avec un bang_."

" _Professionnalisme vous deux_ ," Steve hissed at them as the redhead reached them.

"Agent Romanoff," Coulson greeted. He nodded his head toward the trio, "Captain Rogers."

"Ma'am," Steve gave her a nod.

"Hi," Agent Romanoff said with disinterest.

"Corporal Ryder Howlett, at your service," Ryder added, thrusting his hand out.

Agent Romanoff cocked an eyebrow at him, pointedly ignoring the hand, "Nice to meet you, Corporal."

"…and Private First-Class Case Howlett," Coulson finished.

"Nice to meet you," Case gave her a nod.

"Likewise," Agent Romanoff said, then to Coulson she said, "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face-trace."

"See you there," Coulson said as he headed on his way.

Agent Romanoff cast an appraising glance at all three of them, then nodded her head to get them to follow her. "It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon," She looked up at Steve, "Did he ask you to sign his Captain America Trading Cards yet?"

"Steve's got trading cards devoted to him?" Ryder asked.

"Oh yes," Agent Romanoff nodded. "They're vintage, Coulson's very proud."

Across from them was a nervous looking man with dark hair, seemingly out of place dressed in a gray suit.

"Doctor Banner!" Steve called out as the man took notice of them, and he held out his hand as he walked over.

"Oh, yeah, hi," Banner said in greeting, firmly shaking Steve's hand, "They told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can find the cube."

Banner looked around nervously, "Is that the _only_ word on me?"

"The only word we care about," Case said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Banner gave a nod, studying them carefully. "It must be strange for you…all of this…"

"Well…this is actually kinda familiar," Steve pointed out as a group of soldiers went by on a run.

"Gentlemen," Agent Romanoff added, "You might want to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little hard to breathe."

The sounds of metal clanking along with alarms filled the air as a voice called over the PA, _"Flight crew, secure the deck."_

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked as he looked around at the SHIELD agents rushing around, securing the planes to the deck with thick chains.

"Really?" Banner asked in disbelief, "They want _me_ in a submerged, pressurized, metal container?"

Ryder and Case followed them to the edge of the deck, where they could see large round structures emerging from the water.

The structures were gigantic turbines, which began to spin the moment they got into place. The aircraft carrier began to lift into the air as Banner said, "Oh no, this is much worse."

" _Porte-avion géant qui vole_ …" Case swallowed roughly, wringing her hands nervously. " _Oh, ça va être…non, non, c'est pire_ …"

"Case…are you alright?" Steve asked.

" _Jamais mieux, juste maintenant nous allons dans les airs… quand est-ce que j'ai toujours été bon en vol?_ " Case demanded.

"I understand…but you may want to uh…try to calm yourself down?"

" _Si cela était possible, tu ne crois pas que je l'aurais déjà fait_?"

"If I may, Miss Howlett," Banner cut in hesitantly. "I think the reason he's suggesting it is because some of us may not have a great grasp of the French language as you have…you may find it hard to communicate."

" _De quoi parlez-vous_ …" Case trailed off when she realized what she was doing. " _Oh putain_ …"

* * *

 **And there you have it…I hope it was worth the wait.**

 **Also, again I'm working with Google Translate this time, but these are the translations according to the internet:**

"She's cute," Ryder said as the redhead approached.

"Boy that girl'll snap you in half," Case told him.

"Always did wanna go out with a bang."

"Professionalism you two," Steve hissed at them as the redhead reached them.

 **AND…**

"Giant aircraft carrier that flies…" Case swallowed roughly, wringing her hands nervously. "Oh, this is going to be…no, no, this is worse…"

"Case…are you alright?" Steve asked.

"Never better, just now we're going into the air…when have I ever been good with flying, Steve?" Case demanded.

"I understand…but you may want to uh…try to calm yourself down?"

"If that was possible, don't you think I would've done it by now?"

"If I may, Miss Howlett," Banner cut in hesitantly. "I think the reason he's suggesting it is because some of us may not have a great grasp of the French language as you have…you may find it hard to communicate."

"What on earth are you talking…" Case trailed off when she realized what she was doing. "Oh fuck…"


	24. Chapter 24

**I think I just set a record of shortest times between updates…at least for this story. Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Four…had a bit of trouble trying to figure out this one, but I think it turned out alright. Constructive criticism is appreciated as always.**

 **I hope you enjoy and I'll see you in Chapter Twenty-Five.**

* * *

 **May 2012**

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," Ryder said, boots kicked up on the meeting table.

After SHIELD had found a lead on Loki, they'd all suited up – Steve in his new and improved uniform and Case and Ryder in the standard dark-colored SHIELD jumpsuits. If they wanted to the twins could simply vanish into the crowd of agents currently working on the Helicarrier bridge.

On Steve's order, though, Case and Ryder had stayed behind. Neither twin was particularly thrilled with the order, but Steve assured them he would be fine.

That was a few _hours_ ago…apparently there was another Asgardian in the mix now, and he'd tried to take Loki himself.

"Get your boots off the table, you weren't raised in a barn," Case snapped at him, shoving his boots off the shiny surface.

"You're back to English I see."

"For now, enjoy it while it lasts," Case snapped. She sat down at the conference table and tapped her fingers for a few moments, before getting up and pacing again.

"Problem Howlett?" Maria Hill asked from her station.

"No," Case shook her head, "No problem at all."

Maria pressed her fingers to the device in her ear, "They're back aboard…Loki's being transferred to the containment unit, Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff are on their way to the bridge with…Thor."

"Thor?" Case asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"That's what they said."

A few minutes later, the doors opened with a quiet hiss, and in trooped Steve, Agent Romanoff, and a tall, thickly-muscled man with blonde hair down to his shoulders…in a sleeveless armored shirt with a billowing red cape. He also carried a large hammer in his fist.

"Ah…Thor," Case blinked.

"What happened down here?" Ryder asked.

Steve yanked the cowl off his head, plopping down into a chair with a sigh, "Thor tried to take Loki for himself."

"I intend to bring him back to Asgard," Thor said in a thick accented voice. "But your metal man friend interrupted that."

"Metal Man?" Ryder repeated.

"Stark decided he wanted to play too," Agent Romanoff answered. "Didn't take too kindly to Thor dragging Loki off the quinjet."

Case noticed the way Steve's jaw clenched at the mention of Stark, and said, "Stark doesn't play well with others, does he?"

"That's putting it mildly."

"So, what's the next step?" Ryder asked.

"We're waiting for Fury," Maria explained. "They're putting Loki away right now…Fury said he wanted a few words with him."

* * *

" _In case it's unclear," Fury's voice and image came from the video feed of the containment unit, "If you try to escape, if you so much as scratch that glass—"_

In the feed, the sound of rushing air could be heard as Fury pressed a few buttons on the console beside him.

 _Fury was shouting now, "it's thirty thousand feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" he pressed a few buttons again, and the rushing air vanished. He motioned to Loki and then his console, "Ant, boot."_

 _Loki laughed and put his hands out to his sides, "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."_

" _Built for something a lot stronger than you."_

" _Oh, I've heard," Loki smirked, turning to face the camera. "A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man."_

From her position behind Steve's seat, Case caught Natasha's glance to Banner. Case could feel the claws shifting under the skin of her hands and grit her teeth as she started rubbing over the spots with her thumbs.

" _How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"_

" _How desperate am I?" Fury repeated, and he advanced toward Loki as he said, "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill because it's fun. You have made me_ very _desperate. You might not be glad that you did."_

" _Ooh…it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power…_ unlimited _power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what_ real _power is."_

 _Fury's lips quirked for a moment, then he turned on his heel and walked away. "Well let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something," the threw over his shoulder as he left._

 _The image disappeared from the table._

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner asked in a false-chipper voice.

"Nicer than what I was gonna say," Case admitted.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve said, "So…Thor. What's his play?"

Thor, who'd appeared deep in thought during the exchange with Loki, finally turned toward the rest of them, "He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard, nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army…from outer space…"

"So, he's building another portal," Banner concluded, taking off his glasses as he said, "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor repeated.

"He's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend."

"Spaceman gets around," Ryder whispered to Case, who quirked a smile. They both straightened and sobered as Steve cast them a look that screamed _Behave._

"Loki has him under some kind of spell," Romanoff explained, her voice sounding a little shaken, "Along with one of ours."

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve cut in. "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki, that guy's brain is a bag full of cats," Banner told him. "You could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor said, taking a step toward Banner. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Romanoff said matter-of-factly.

"He's adopted…" Thor added uncomfortably.

"I think it's about the mechanics," Banner began, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Iridium…what do they need the iridium for?"

"It's a stabilizing agent."

All gazes turned toward the doorway where Coulson was walking in with Tony Stark, who'd shed the armor in favor of a dark suit. He turned to Coulson as they walked, "So I'm just saying, pick a weekend. I'll fly you to Portland…keep love alive."

Coulson just gave him a simple nod and pointed to his left as he walked away.

Stark shoved his hands in his pockets and resumed his previous train of thought, "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD." He continued further into the room, walking past Thor as he said, "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing," He tapped Thor's thick bicep for emphasis. "Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants."

He reached Fury's command spot on the bridge, standing in the middle of the circle of monitors, "Raise the mizzenmast. Jib the topsails."

"Did Thor hit you too hard earlier?" Case asked, frowning at him.

"He's always like this," Maria answered, folding her arms in annoyance.

Even the SHIELD agents working on the rows of consoles looked up at him like he was a hinderance.

"That man is playing Galaga!" Stark announced to the room. "He thought we wouldn't notice…but we did!" He suddenly gave a groan and covered his left eye, "How does Fury even see these?"

"He turns," Maria answered simply.

"Sounds exhausting."

"Watching _this_ is exhausting," Ryder grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing at his eyes.

"The rest of the raw materials," Stark added as he began touching the monitors on the control post, "Agent Barton can get his hands on…pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density." He concluded his tapping of the screens and turned to face them, snapping his fingers as he said, "Something to kick-start the Cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Maria asked.

"Last night," Stark said simply. "The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers. Am I the only one that did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve cut in with a little bit of annoyance in his tone.

Banner had been pacing near the doorway, and spoke up, "He'd have to heat the Cube to one hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect," Stark added as he made his way toward Banner.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English," Stark said, holding his hand out to Banner.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked in confusion.

Stark shook Banner's hand, "It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster."

Banner frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Thanks…"

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the Cube," Fury said, boots clunking on the metal floor as he entered, "I was hoping you might join him."

"I'd start with that stick of his," Steve cut in. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon."

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube," Fury explained. "And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor repeated with a frown, "I do not understand—"

"I do!" Steve interrupted with a little bit of pride in his voice as he pointed his finger at Fury. When an uncomfortable silence followed, he put his hand down and added, "I-I understood that reference."

"Fitting considering he's got two monkeys of his own," Stark murmured to Banner with a roll of his eyes.

"Watch it, Fat Head," Ryder snapped, folding his arms.

"What cunning wit," Stark shot back, then turned to Banner, "Shall we play, Doctor?"

"This way sir," Banner said, turning toward the doorway.

As the two left Case caught the eye of one of the SHIELD techs, and he turned back to his screen and went back to playing Galaga.

* * *

"So, what did you think of Stark Junior out there?" Ryder asked.

"What are you talking about?" Case asked.

"Come on, you know you were comparing the two. You and Howard never did see eye to eye after the Peggy Carter incident."

"Hey, a blind man in New Jersey could see they liked each other," Case protested. "And he asked her out for fondue…and we _both_ know Howard meant more than just cheese and bread! Right in front of Steve!"

"Yes," Ryder admitted. "But Bucky also hit on Peggy Carter in front of you _and_ Steve and you disappeared with him into the alley the first chance you got."

Case held up a finger, "I…that's not the point."

"Then what is the point, Cassidy?"

" _Hey! Are you nuts?"_

At Steve's yell the twins went running into one of the research labs, finding Steve standing in front of Stark and Banner. The room was full of humming and beeping equipment and had a table with Loki's scepter separating Steve from the scientists.

"And here come the other flying monkeys," Stark added dismissively as he turned to Banner, "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve demanded.

"Funny things are," Tony said, pointing a sharp metal poker at him.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny," Steve snapped at him. He frowned at turned to Banner, "No offense, Doc."

The eyes of both twins narrowed, and they cast glares at Steve.

"I think you pissed off your monkeys."

"Go to hell, Stark," Case snapped as she folded her arms.

"It's all right, though," Banner cut in, clicking away at a keyboard in front of him, "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle…pointy things."

"You're tip-toeing big man," Stark added, pointing at Banner for emphasis as he walked away from his fellow scientist. "You need to strut."

"You don't do that enough for just about everyone on board?" Case added with an eyeroll.

"You need to focus on the problem, Mister Stark," Steve added.

"Do you think I'm not?" Stark asked as he grabbed a small silver bag and walked back over to them. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy. Captain he's _the_ spy. His secrets have secrets," Stark said, and shook a handful of blueberries from the bag and tossed them into his mouth. He motioned to Banner with his mouth full, "It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

"Uh…" Banner said hesitantly, clearly not wanting to get involved in the conversation. "I just wanna finish my work here and—"

"Doctor?" Steve asked.

Banner sighed, and pulled his glasses off as he said, "'A warm light for all mankind'…Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube."

"I heard it."

"Well, I think that was meant for you," Banner told Stark, which earned him a response in an offering of the blueberries. As Banner took a few, he said, "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big ugly…" Steve paused as he caught the look Stark gave him and he finished, "Building in New York?"

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?"

"It's just the prototype," Stark told them. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's gettin' at."

"So…why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files," Stark added as he rounded the table to stand by Steve.

"I'm sorry, did you say—"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge," Stark said, holding up and studying a small device before looking at Steve as he shoved it in his back pocket, "In a few hours I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?" He added, offering the bag to Steve.

Case and Ryder exchanged nervous glances, Case tucking her hands tighter under her arms while Ryder shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around," Steve said, ignoring the offered bag.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome."

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them."

That line made Case and Ryder stand straighter, throwing confused and angry looks at his back.

"Following's not really my style," Stark said, shoving another handful of blueberries into his mouth.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?"

"Of the people in this room, which one is A, wearing a spangly outfit, B not of use, and C getting holes glared into his back by his duo of flying monkeys?"

"You call us monkeys one more time Stark and Banner losing control will be the least of your problems," Ryder growled out.

"Ryder," Banner cut in. "Case, Steve…tell me none of this smells a little funky to you."

Steve was quiet for a moment, then growled out, "Just find the Cube."

As Steve left Stark turned his gaze to the Howlett twins, "Shouldn't you follow him?"

"We're not attached at the hip, Stark," Ryder scowled.

"Could've fooled me," Stark pointed out. "But like the Capsicle…neither of you are of use here either."

"Come on, Case," Ryder said, grabbing hold of his sister's shoulder.

As the doors hissed shut behind them, Stark said, " _That's_ the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering if they should've kept him on ice. Him _and_ his little guard dogs…"

"That does it!" Case snapped, but Ryder kept hold of her.

"He's not worth it," Ryder grunted, pulling Case down a hallway to their right.

"Then what the hell are we doing?"

"We need to have a little chat with our dear friend Captain Rogers…his reaction to Doctor Banner isn't sitting right with me."


	25. Chapter 25

***GASP***

 **I'm kind of on a roll with the chapters this week, so here's a new update for you. I hope to have at least one more up before the weekend ends…but for now, enjoy Chapter Twenty-Five. Any constructive criticism is appreciated.**

* * *

"Alright…he's down here somewhere…"

Steve had bolted quickly from the science laboratory…thankfully though, not quick enough for his scent to dissipate from the air.

The Howletts quickly were able to catch it and trail him deeper into the Helicarrier, into the storage units.

They soon found Steve struggling to open a sealed door – both he and the door were groaning with the effort.

"Well Case, look who it is," Ryder said, folding his arms across his chest, watching Steve practically leap away from the door as if it burned him. "Captain Hypocrite."

"Huh…see, I was going to say Captain Asshole, but Hypocrite fits better," Case added, mirroring his pose. "Breaking into a sealed containment unit is strictly against orders, Captain."

Steve frowned, "Look, about that I—"

Ryder cocked his head, "You what? Never followed orders a day in your life, whether it was from a doctor or from a commanding officer, both before the war and during our time with the Howlies, driving Case, Bucky, _and_ me insane as we tried chasing after you?"

"Oh, and let's not forget how _that_ whole thing started with the Howlies," Case pointed out. "Considering Phillips's grand plan for getting the troops back was to simply win the war, and you took it upon yourself to parachute behind enemy lines to rescue the rest of the Hundred and Seventh?"

Steve shifted on his feet, "You were there too…"

Case cocked an eyebrow, "I was following _you._ "

"All right, fine! I'm sorry!" Steve hissed, "Is that what you want to hear?"

The twins just gave him a pointed look.

"And I'm being a hypocrite _and_ an asshole…happy _now_?"

This time the twins exchanged looks, apparently having a silent conversation with each other.

Case looked back at him, "We'll accept that…for now."

"There is just one more thing though…" Ryder said, then stepped forward and threw his fist into Steve's face.

The force of the punch sent Steve stumbling backward into the wall as he clutched at his now throbbing nose, "What the hell was _that_ for?"

"That's for treating Doctor Banner like a time bomb waiting to go off, and be thankful I'm leaving it at that," Ryder said, cracking his knuckles and shaking out his hand. "Because after that display in there? If I hadn't known you since I was six, I would have kicked your ass on principle alone."

"You don't think Stark trying to provoke him is dangerous?" Steve demanded, still rubbing at his nose, making sure it wasn't bleeding.

"You don't think this—" Ryder waved a gloved hand in Steve's face, "—is dangerous?"

"That's different! You saw the footage! You read the reports!"

Ryder took a step back, "Yes, yes I did. And while I think Stark was being an idiot, I _also_ think you were a little quick to judge. Clearly Banner's doing his best to keep in control. And he even said that if he didn't think he could control himself he wouldn't be here."

"To someone who works hard at maintaining, an asshole like Stark isn't going to change things overnight," Case added.

"Look, again, I'm sorry," Steve said, a little more earnestly than the first time. "Either one of you loses control of your mutations…usually it only affects one person, if any. Not that it makes it any better but…you can't knock us out of the sky and injure got knows how many others if you lose it. And I _know_ that's not fair to Doctor Banner…it was more anger at Stark for trying to provoke him to begin with."

Case looked at Ryder, who gave a shrug, "I said my piece and slugged him in the face, I'm good."

"Alright," Case gave a nod of acceptance, "You're forgiven…I would say don't pull shit like that again…but when have you ever had a lid on your temper?"

"That's the pot calling the kettle black," Ryder smirked, then he gave a grunt of pain as Case punched him in the shoulder. As he rubbed his bicep, he asked, "So what is all this?"

"As loath as I am to admit it, Stark did have a point," Steve said, going back to the door. He grabbed hold of it as best as he could and started pulling, grunting out, "So I figured...why wait for Stark? Let's see what SHIELD is hiding."

The door finally gave way, and Steve slid it into the pocket, silently making his way into the storage unit, Case and Ryder following close behind.

He gave a nod toward the platform overhead, before hopping on a few storage containers to take a leap and grab the platform, easily flipping over the railing.

And making even less noise than Steve had, Ryder and Case leapt up and over the railing, once again following Steve's lead.

* * *

"Must've been rough," Sam said as Ryder finished his story, his voice sounding a little distracted, eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

They were currently in the common area of the Avengers' Tower, seated in front of one of the large screens, beating each other senseless in a fighting video game, and Sam let out a colorful round of curses as his character fell off the map and Ryder won by default.

Ryder shook his head, "Ya know, Sammy, the trick to winning is _not_ falling off? Just a little tip for you."

"Fuck off," Sam scowled, before restarting the game. "So…Case had a problem with Tony's old man?"

"Never really got over the whole 'fondue' thing…but I think it was because of how Howard reacted toward it, putting it all on Peggy because she was a woman," Ryder said, fingers flying over the controller buttons as he spoke. "Not that, you know, Steve unfortunately was caught in the crossfire of two women and didn't know how to react…and I _do_ think Case wasn't too far off the mark as to why Howard asked her out in the first place."

"Really?"

"Well, it's what I woulda done," Ryder said, as his character was knocked off the platform and the phrase _RING OUT_ flashed across the screen. "If I'd had that shot with Viola? Get a little fondue, get a small room and a bottle of wine and see where the night took us."

"And what about…?"

"Sam, don't start," Ryder pinched at the bridge of his nose as he got to his feet. "I'm here to talk about… _other_ things."

"Where _is_ Natasha by the way?"

"She's reaching out to her contact in Kiev," Ryder said as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

Sam sat at the counter, frowning, "You guys have a lead on Bucky?"

Ryder shook his head, "Case and I aren't searching Bucky. We'll help Steve when _he's_ looking, but Case and I made an agreement that we don't actively seek him out."

"Then why is she…" Sam trailed off when he realized what Ryder was doing. "Ballsy move man, ballsy move."

"I need answers, Sam…and Case can't even say the word 'mom' without letting loose her claws," Ryder said.

"I hope you know what you're doing…"

"Yeah, me too," Ryder admitted. "Anyway…where were we?"

"The Avengers downright hated each other for being obnoxious assholes."

"Right, right," Ryder nodded. "Fasten your seatbelt…it's gonna get a lot worse from there."

* * *

Steve stormed back toward the science laboratory, with Case and Ryder in tow, hot on his heels.

" _Yeah, and then you get your Cube back. No muss, no fuss,"_ they could hear Stark speaking as they reached the lab. _"What_ is _'Phase Two'?"_

Steve answered the question by slamming a Hydra blaster onto the table with a loud _clank._ "Phase Two is SHIELD uses the Cube to make weapons." He squared his shoulders and turned toward Stark and Banner, "Sorry, computer was running a little slow for me."

Fury turned to face him, "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean—"

"I'm sorry Nick!" Stark called out, reaching up to turn one of his overhead monitors toward them, images of what looked like a missile assembling itself on the screen, "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, Director," Steve said, "The world hasn't changed a bit."

Thor and Agent Romanoff appeared in the room next.

"Did you know about this?" Banner directed at Romanoff, motioning to the screen with his glasses.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Romanoff said in lieu of an answer.

Banner seemed a little annoyed, but he kept his face neutral and gave a nervous laugh as he said, "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you—"

"And you've been doing _what_ , exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy," Banner said, moving toward the screen. He took hold of it and pointed with his glasses as he said, "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction!"

Fury waited a moment, then pointed, "Because of _him!"_

Thor frowned in confession, "Me?"

"Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that _leveled_ a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor protested.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury snapped. " _And_ you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched…that can't be controlled."

Case gave a laugh of disbelief, making the rest of the group pay attention to the twins for the first time since the whole confrontation began. "I'm finally starting to see what Dad was talking about…why we had to hide."

"Hide…that's a good one," Fury laughed. "Seventy years is a long time…and I _know_ you're familiar with Logan Howlett…but do the names Victor Creed and Kayla Silverfox ring a bell?"

Ryder squared his shoulders, "Victor Creed is our uncle."

"Well, I have a list of people your _uncle_ hurt when he was let loose on the population," Fury informed them, "Would you like it chronologically or alphabetically?"

"Look…whatever they did…we are not them," Case said stepping toward Fury.

"And sorry to burst your…weirdly naïve bubble, but the world is _already_ filled with creatures that you can't even hope to control," Ryder added. "Albeit…one less, considering our mother died many years ago."

Fury looked confused, but before he could respond Stark decided to put his two cents into the mix. "Apparently this…Professor Xavier handles all the ones like you. From what I've gathered, you two were supposed to be sent to him once you were out of the ice."

Ryder and Case both took a step back from Fury, and Ryder turned to his friend, "Steve?"

Steve sighed, "SHIELD was already planning on sending you to Doctor Xavier even before you woke up…"

Ryder gave a huff, "Right…send the freaks upstate…keep them hidden, away from the world. Because although his team does _amazing_ work…people still don't trust mutants."

"And _many_ of them think like Loki," Fury snapped. "That they're _above_ humanity…or did you miss the little history lesson about Magneto's Liberty Island attack?"

"In case you missed it, _we_ don't think like that!" Case snapped.

"And it was _your_ work with the Tesseract that drew Loki to it, and his allies!" Thor added, taking a step toward Fury. "It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A _higher_ form?" Steve asked.

"You forced our hand," Fury argued, "We had to come up with something—"

"A nuclear deterrent," Stark interrupted. "Because that always calms everything right down."

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark."

Steve stepped forward, "I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep—"

"Wai-wait, hold on, how is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor frowned.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury demanded, rounding on the Asgardian.

"You treat your champions with such mistrust!"

"Are you boys really that naïve? SHIELD monitors potential threats."

"Captain America's on a threat watch?" Banner asked in disbelief.

"We _all_ are," Romanoff snapped.

"Wait, _you're_ on that list?" Stark asked, "Are you above or below angry bees?"

"Stark, so help me God if you make one more wisecrack—" Steve began.

"Threat! Verbal threat! I feel threatened!"

"Show some respect!"

"Respect? Respect what?"

The voices started to blur together after that, as a high-pitched whining noise began to grow louder. Unbeknownst to the others, Case and Ryder drew back even further, both cringing as they tried to cover their ears to block out the excruciating sound.

"Steve…" Case whispered, trying to get her friend's attention.

"You speak of control but you court chaos!" Thor told Fury.

"Steve…" Ryder tried this time, voice a little louder but barely above a croak.

"That's his M.O. isn't it?" Banner asked. "I mean, what are we a team? No, no, no, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're…we're a time bomb."

"You need to step away," Fury told him.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Stark demanded, clapping a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"You know damn well why! Now back off!" Steve snapped, shrugging off the hand.

"I'm starting to want you to make me," Stark challenged.

"Here we go again," Case mumbled, finally managing to muffle the sound to a more comfortable level.

"Yeah…big man in a suit of armor," Steve said as he circled Stark. "Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Stark said without hesitation.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage…the only thing you really fight for is _yourself_ ," Steve growled. "You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over _you_ —"

"I think I would just cut the wire."

"Always a way out," Steve smirked, "You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"Steve…" Ryder hissed.

"A hero? Like _you?_ " Stark snapped. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

As Case's temper rose at the comment her claws shot out of her hands, and she gave a small gasp of pain as she clutched at her hands, trying to remain unnoticed. At Ryder's concerned look she whispered, "I'm all right…"

Steve was still smirking at Stark, "Put on the suit…let's go a few rounds."

Thor gave a humorless laugh as he said, "You people are so petty…and tiny."

"Yeah, this is a team," Banner rolled his eyes.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner back to his—"

"Where?" Banner asked, interrupting Fury. "You rented my room."

"The cell was just in case—"

"In case you needed to kill me, but you _can't_. I know, I _tried_ ," Banner informed him. He folded his arms uncomfortably and said, "I got low…I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So, I moved on. I focused on helping other people, I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

Subtly, Fury and Romanoff reached for their weapons, the straps on the holsters clicking as they released.

"Doctor Banner," Steve began. "Put down the scepter."

Banner gazed at the scepter clutched in his left hand, apparently confused about the fact he was holding it to begin with.

Suddenly, an alarm started chiming from one of the computers.

"Got it," Stark announced.

Banner carefully put the scepter back on the table and walked past the group as he said, "Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all."

"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"I could get there fastest," Stark said.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it."

"You're not going alone!" Steve told Stark as he grabbed hold of his wrist.

Stark slapped him away, "You gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit let's find out."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit," Steve snapped.

Banner, who'd been checking the beeping monitor, pulled off his glasses and breathed, "Oh my God…"

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the Helicarrier. The force of it blew Thor and Fury right off their feet while Banner, Ryder, and Romanoff were blown through a hole in the floor.

Case slammed into Steve as he and Stark landed near the doorway.

"Put on the suit!" Steve ordered.

"Yeah!" Stark said simply as he scrambled to his feet, all three of them booking out the door.


	26. Chapter 26

**Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Six. I struggled a little bit on this one - so much happened during that sequence in "The Avengers" I hope I did it justice. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **May 2012**

" _All hands to stations!"_

" _Hill!"_ Fury's voice barked over the comms.

" _External detonation,"_ Hill announced, sounding a little distracted as she reported, _"Number three engine is down! Can they get it running? Talk to me."_

A third voice could be heard on the comm, _"Turbine looks mostly intact but it's impossible to get out there to make repairs while we're in the air."_

" _If we lose one more engine we won't be,"_ Hill concluded. _"Somebody's gotta get outside and patch that engine."_

" _Stark, you copy that?"_ Fury asked.

" _I'm on it."_

" _Coulson initiate defensive lockdown in the detention section then get to the armory,"_ Fury ordered. _"Romanoff?"_

Natasha was lying on her stomach, grunting as she tried to yank her ankle free from where it was trapped in some of the debris from the explosion.

When she looked over to Ryder, he was already moving, looking at the metal trapping her to see how they could get her free.

Banner was laying flat still, groaning and clenching his fists.

"We're okay," Natasha said into her comm, until she noticed the way Banner was moving and groaning. "We're okay…right?"

Ryder instantly grabbed hold of the metal trapping her ankle, as Natasha said, "Doctor…? Bruce…? You've gotta fight it…this is just what Loki wants."

It looked like Banner was fighting something, he hadn't looked at them yet, but he was clenching his hands into fists, trying to grip the metal floor beneath him.

"We're going to be okay," Natasha continued. "Listen to me."

"Are you hurt?" Someone called out.

Natasha and Ryder both motioned for them to get lost.

"Bruce…buddy…I could use a hand here," Ryder added. He tried not to panic as he heard the growls starting to come from Banner. "Romanoff—"

"I swear on my life, I will get you out of this!" Romanoff added.

"Bruce, you got this, you're almost to the finish line," Ryder said, grunting with the effort of trying to shift the metal. He didn't like Romanoff's promises, but he couldn't stop her now.

"You will walk away and never ever—"

"Your life?" Banner roared, his voice distorted as he finally looked at her.

He gave a loud roar and rolled away. His skin began turning green as his shirt began to shred, muscles stretching and causing the material to split.

"Bruce…?" Romanoff asked in a weak voice.

He still had his back to them, and he shoved his arm into a nearby tank and gave another loud roar that echoed through the cavernous room.

"Shit…" Ryder hissed, and gave up on trying to shift the metal. He grabbed hold of Romanoff and pulled, her ankle slipping free as they both scrambled to their feet.

The Hulk now turned to face them, and gave a loud, inhuman roar.

"Follow me!" Romanoff said, grabbing hold of Ryder's wrist as she bolted for the stairs.

* * *

Steve yanked open the door leading out to Engine 3, yelling into his comm, "Stark! We're here!"

They'd separated on the way, with Stark assuring them he'd meet them at the engine.

Case stepped out of the way as two of the workers carried their injured partner deeper into the Helicarrier.

A gigantic hole had been blown into the hull of the ship, smoke was billowing out around the damaged area. Case stood near the edge of the hole with Steve, swallowing roughly and grabbing hold of the metal ladder beside them as she took in the sight of nothingness but gray sky and clouds.

" _Good,"_ Stark said through the comm. He flew in with his Iron Man armor, _"Let's see what we've got…"_

He hovered in front of the structure for a few moments, mumbling through the comm, _"I gotta get this superconducting coolant system back online before I can access the rotors, work on dislodging the debris…"_ He shifted a large piece of metal back into position as he turned to Steve and Case, _"I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position."_

Steve nodded as Stark disappeared further into the wreckage. "Ladies first," He added, holding out his hand.

Case took a deep, shaky breath as she looked at some overhead beams, "This is revenge for the beam-crossing thing, isn't it?"

"Now why would I do that?" She could hear the smirk in Steve's voice as she took her leap, grasping a pole to swing to the next platform. Based on the grunts, Steve was close behind. He reached over her head to yank open the door to the engine control panel, yanking circuit board out of its slot.

" _What's it look like in there?"_ Stark asked.

Steve stared at the board for a few moments, "It seems to run on some form of electricity."

" _Well, you're not wrong,"_ Stark admitted.

"There's a lot of red in here, Stark," Case commented.

"But the relays are intact," Steve concluded as he shoved the circuit board back into place. "What's our next move?"

" _Even if I clear the rotors this thing won't re-engage without a jump,"_ Stark informed them. _"I'm gonna have to get in there and push."_

"If that thing gets up to speed, you'll be shredded!"

" _That stator control unit can reverse the polarity long enough to disengage maglev and that should—"_

"Speak English!" Both Steve and Case yelled into their comms.

" _See that red lever?"_

Steve and Case turned to the lever Stark was referring to.

" _It will slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word."_

Both Case and Steve leapt across to the next platform.

" _We've got a perimeter breach! Hostiles are in SHIELD gear! Call-outs at every junction!"_ A new voice announced over the comm.

"Oh, that can't be good…" Case muttered.

Steve tapped her on the arm, eyes on the doorway.

Two men dressed in black flight suits appeared, armed with rifles.

"Hostiles?" She whispered to him.

The leader suddenly had a grenade in his hand, pin already pulled as he threw it into the air.

Steve was already moving, leaping across the gap to smack the grenade into the open air before landing on the opposite platform. It exploded harmlessly in the air next to the carrier.

"Only Steve would smack a grenade out of midair," Case rolled her eyes. She stayed near the lever while Steve handled the Hostiles, knocking one of them unconscious and the other into the air, his scream echoing as he disappeared.

He leapt back onto the platform Case was on as a third Hostile appeared and opened fire with his rifle. One of the discarded guns had landed on the platform during the fight, and Steve picked it up and returned fire…very sloppily, most of his shots hit the wall behind the Hostile, sending sparks everywhere.

"Give me that! You're gonna waste all your ammo!" Case snapped at him, and Steve quickly handed her the gun. She hoisted it up into her arms and sent a few shots toward the Hostile, who ducked out of the way, " _This_ is why I said don't give Steve a gun…nobody ever listens to the woman, no…she doesn't know what she's talking about."

" _Sir, we've lost all power in Engine One."_ A voice said into the comm.

" _It's Barton,"_ Fury said. _"He took out our systems. He's headed for the detention level."_ After a few beats of silence, Fury asked, _"Does anybody copy?"_

" _This is Agent Romanoff…I copy."_

She sounded shaken, and suddenly Ryder's voice suddenly filled the comms, _"This is Howlett…I heard you loud and clear, Sir."_

" _Stark, we're losing altitude,"_ Fury added.

" _Yeah, I noticed,"_ Stark responded.

More bullets flew at Case and Steve, and the two kept backing up as Case returned fire, trying to hit the target.

"You were saying?" Steve asked.

"Shut up!" Case snapped, returning fire again as the hostile ducked out of sight. "At least I'm not spraying bullets everywhere!"

She heard metal scraping, and Steve give a yell that was quickly silenced.

"Steve…?" She turned around, "STEVE!" She abandoned the rifle as she reached out and grabbed hold of the hose Steve was holding onto – the man was currently flapping around outside of the carrier like a Captain America kite.

Suddenly Stark came into the comms again, _"Cap, hit the lever!"_

" _I need a minute here!"_ Steve yelled, trying to climb up the hose while Case still pulled him in.

" _Lever…now!"_

Steve grasped the platform just as more bullets flew. Case gave a yelp of pain and dropped flat to the platform as Steve reached up and yanked the red lever. He stayed low and tried to shield Case against any more shots, and as the Hostile began firing again Stark flew in and took him out, both slamming against the metal door.

"Fuck I forgot how much getting shot actually hurts…" Case hissed, grabbing at her left arm.

Stark's head popped up, "Did Howlett just say 'fuck'?"

" _That's_ what you took from that?" Case snapped at him.

"Let me see your arm," Steve asked.

Case cringed and moved her hand, wincing at how her fingers were sticky with blood, "How bad?"

"Just a graze, but it took a nice slice out of your arm," Steve said, "It's already healing…by the time we get back to the bridge it should probably be gone."

"Just is gonna sting like a bitch until it does," Case cringed. "You okay over there, Stark?"

"I'll live," Stark said, getting to his feet.

" _Agent Coulson is down,"_ Fury's voice suddenly came over the comm.

" _A medical team is on its way to your location,"_ another voice said.

" _They're here…they called it."_

* * *

The three of them were quiet as they made their way back to the bridge, the small victory of keeping the Helicarrier in the air tainted by the death of Coulson.

Stark had shed the remains of his armor, Steve had gotten rid of the top half of his uniform, leaving on just a tight blue shirt.

" _Impressive pecs, Stevie."_

" _Not now, Cassidy."_

The doors to the bridge opened with a quiet hiss, Stark leading the trio as they entered the command space.

"What in the hell happened to you?"

Stark's shout caught Steve and Case's attention, and they both looked to Ryder. He was standing with his arms folded, leaning against the conference desk. His face and uniform were covered in dirt, his uniform torn and scorched in a few places, but otherwise he seemed to be intact…unless one considered that he had two long arrows sticking out of him – one jutting out of his right shoulder and the other out of his left flank.

The older Howlett twin seemed to consider his words carefully, and licked his lips before saying, "I was chased through some very _tight_ spaces by a giant green rage monster."

"And the arrows?" Case asked.

"I was with Romanoff when she went after Barton," Ryder admitted. "He fired two shots…was trying to hit her. I'm gonna be honest I have no clue how I got hit."

Steve's hand was over Case's mouth in an instant, and he didn't even look at her as he said, "Not the time, Case."

Case yanked Steve's hand away from her mouth, and asked, "Need a hand with those?"

"Yeah, if you would be so kind," Ryder said as he straightened.

Case took hold of one of the arrows and braced herself against Ryder's shoulder, "Why are these still in you to begin with?"

"He wanted to make sure the others got help first," Maria Hill explained from her post. "Then one of the medics told him it was better to leave them in until they could get him to Medical, to which an interesting argument occurred, and he opted to leave them in…and threatened to hurl the medic out of the broken hull."

Ryder gave a howl of pain as Case yanked the arrow out of his shoulder and let out some colorful curses in French.

"Geez, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Stark asked. Then he seemed to remember the conversation from earlier and frowned as he took his seat, "Sorry…"

"Since when do you speak French?" Case asked, getting ready to yank out the next arrow.

"I don't," Stark admitted. "I just went out on a limb."

With another yell of pain Case yanked the other arrow free, looking at the wound that was left behind. "I think it was healing around the arrow…"

"I'd say that was a pretty safe bet," Ryder winced as he clutched at his side. He collapsed into one of the empty chairs, trying to breathe through the pain.

The doors gave a quiet hiss as Fury entered the bridge, eyes on something in his hand.

Steve and Case took two of the remaining seats as Fury stood near the railing that separated the rest of the bridge from the table.

Fury was quiet for a moment, they could now see he was holding a deck of cards. He finally looked up and said, "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket…guess he never did get you to sign them," he tossed the stack of blood-covered cards at Steve.

With a sigh, Fury continued, "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube…Banner, Thor…I got nothin' for you. Lost my one good eye." He braced himself against the table, staring at the shiny surface as he added, "Maybe I had that coming."

Steve had picked up one of the cards, gazing at the image of himself giving a cheesy salute to the camera, holding his original shield from the stage show.

Fury stood straighter and said, "Yes…we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract." He was walking around the table as he added, "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playin' something even riskier." He grasped at the back of one of the empty chairs, then continued, "There was an idea, Stark knows this, called 'The Avengers Initiative'. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could."

Nobody looked at Fury as he spoke, or as he rounded the table and grasped another one of the empty chairs for emphasis. His gaze went to Stark's back as he added, "Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes—"

Stark got to his feet, stared at the bridge for a few moments, then walked out of the room completely.

"Well…it's an old-fashioned notion."

* * *

Case followed Stark through the Helicarrier, tracking his scent to the detention level. She found him standing ramrod straight, staring at the space Loki's cell had resided in, now currently empty after the Asgardian had made his escape.

She stood on the opposite platform, trying to think of something to say.

"Shouldn't you be with Cap?" Stark finally asked.

Case shrugged before she folded her arms and leaned against the railing, "We're not joined at the hip, Stark."

They were both quiet for a few moments, before Stark said, "Look…I'm sorry about the flying monkey comments—"

"We both know you're not really sorry," Case told him. "Although you may want to try and apologize to Ryder as well…he might take it."

"Why did you follow me, Howlett?"

Case chewed on her lip, and hesitated before she said, "Didn't want you to be alone."

That got Stark to finally turn to face her, and asked, "Why?"

"I know this is going to sound stupid," She sighed as she looked down at the floor, "When Bucky…fell…it was just Steve and Ryder and me. Peggy came looking for us eventually…but she was the only one." She picked at the torn edges of her sleeve, her arm healed without a mark, and she looked up at him as she said, "I just…I remember feeling like…" she sighed, unable to finish the thought, and just repeated, "I didn't want you to be alone."

Stark was about to respond, when Steve walked in behind Case, and the billionaire opted to turn his back toward them again.

Case gave a sigh and rested her chin on her folded arms as Steve folded his arms and leaned against the other railing.

"Was he married?" Steve asked.

"No," Stark responded. "There was a uh…cellist, I think."

"I'm sorry…he seemed like a good man."

Stark gave a huff, "He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone."

"He was doing his job," Steve frowned.

Stark scoffed as he made his way toward them, "He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have…"

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony," Steve said, trying to meet him in the middle of the platform.

"Right, I've heard that before," Stark added, waling right past Steve.

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?"

"We are _not_ soldiers!" Tony snarled at him. He looked at both Steve and Case before saying, "I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I," Steve told him. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now, we gotta put that behind us and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list—"

"He made it personal," Stark suddenly interrupted him.

"That's not the point."

"That _is_ the point. That's Loki's point, he hit us all right where we live, why?"

"To tear us apart," Case said quietly. "To divide and conquer."

"Yeah, and divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right?" Stark continued. " _That's_ what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right," Steve agreed. "I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah…" Stark started moving past Steve toward the main platform, "That's just previews. This is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered…" he trailed off as the answer dawned on him, "Son of a bitch…"


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven…I'm sorry about the late update – it took me a while just to be able to find the time to even sit down to write. I hope I did a decent job with the battle – again "Avengers" is proving tricky to write, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to have the next one up by the weekend.**

* * *

"We've got civilians trapped up there," Barton announced.

The five of them – Steve, Case, Ryder, Barton, and Romanoff – were ducking down behind a few downed cars, taking stock of the situation.

After they'd crash landed into the war zone, the group had made their way through the field of damaged cars and debris from broken buildings to get a clear view of Stark Tower. There was a beam of glowing blue energy leading up into a large dark hole that had been ripped into the sky, with the Chitauri coming out of it in droves, the creatures zooming around in the sky like a swarm of angry bees. And to complete the collection, a gigantic fish-like creature covered in metal armor was _flying_ through the buildings overhead, busting through walls and sending down showers of broken concrete and shattered glass.

"Loki…" Steve murmured as they saw the so-called god zoom by on one of the Chitauri vehicles.

As they watched, Loki and more of the Chitauri soldiers shot their lasers at the civilians that were running around in terror trying to escape along with the police officers trying to assist, blasts hitting vehicles and causing more explosions and more debris and smoke to fill the air.

"They're fish in a barrel down there," Steve added, before ducking a few more blasts.

Romanoff was already on her feet, returning fire with two pistols.

Barton took cover behind a flipped taxi cab, trying to get a better vantage point.

"You three go," Romanoff said, ducking back down. "We got this."

"Think you can hold 'em off?" Steve asked.

"Captain," Barton said with a small smirk. He hit a few buttons on his bow, and the quiver he carried created a small whirring noise as the arrow locked into place, "It would be my genuine pleasure." And with that, he got to his feet, quickly taking aim and fired the arrow, hitting one of the Chitauri drones right in the forehead, the hit causing another to fire multiple blasts that hit the others around him.

"Alright…come on," Steve motioned to Case and Ryder as he leapt over the nearby wall and onto a bus stopped below.

"Here we go again," Ryder said, taking a leap to follow.

"Some things never change," Case added, as they turned single file to avoid the blasts being sent their way.

The trio leapt over various cars, Ryder calling out, "I dunno about Steve…but I'm pretty sure this isn't what they had in mind when they had us run obstacle courses in boot camp!"

"What, you don't think the Army prepared you for all this?" Case asked.

"Hell the Army barely prepared me for what they did to Steve!"

As they got closer they could hear one of the officers saying, _"It's going to be an hour before they can scramble the National Guard!"_

" _National Guard? Does the Army know what's happenin' here?"_

" _Do we?"_

That was when Steve landed on one of the downed vehicles, Case and Ryder falling in behind him. Steve wasted no time before he pointed upwards, "You need men in these buildings. There are people inside and they're going to be running right into the line of fire. You take them to the basements or through the subway. You keep them _off the streets!_ I need a perimeter as far back as Thirty-Ninth!"

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" The officer demanded.

Suddenly, a few Chitauri landed. Steve bashed the first with his shield, and Case took its weapon, blasting another that landed near Ryder, allowing her brother to snatch a weapon of his own. Steve finished the final one off, taking it's arm off with the shield.

The officer turned around and barked, "I need men in those buildings! Lead the people down and away from the streets." Into the radio attached to his shoulder he added, "We're going to set up a perimeter all the way down to Thirty-Ninth Street."

"You'd think they'd stop asking stupid questions," Case rolled her eyes.

* * *

They got back to Romanoff and Barton just as Thor reappeared, frying a few of the Chitauri with lightning.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked.

"The power surrounding the Cube is impenetrable."

" _Thor's right. We've gotta deal with_ these _guys."_

"How do we do this?" Romanoff asked.

"As a team," Steve answered.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor told him.

"Yeah?" Barton asked as he fiddled with one of his arrows, "Get in line."

"Save it," Steve said firmly. He was moving toward the front so he could look back at everyone, "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top. He's going to need us to—" He cut off at the sound of a motorcycle approaching.

Banner appeared on a beat-up motorcycle. He parked it in the middle of the street and started walking toward them as he took in the sight, saying, "So…this all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse," Romanoff told him.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse."

"Stark, we got him," Steve said into the comm.

" _Banner?"_

"Just like you said."

" _Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."_

Suddenly the giant flying fish creature appeared, taking out a chunk of a nearby building and making Stark's suit seem microscopic in comparison.

"I don't see how that's a party," Romanoff deadpanned.

As Banner turned toward the flying creature, Steve spoke up, "Doctor Banner…now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Banner turned to him and gave a small smile as he walked, "That's my secret, Captain." He paused when he was close to the flying creature, and cast one last look back as he said, "I'm always angry."

As he turned Banner's skin turned green, and his clothing split as he grew several inches taller and wider, huge green muscles shredding his shirt as he turned back to the flying creature and punched it in the face, bringing it to the ground.

The creature went face first into the asphalt, momentum pushing the Hulk backward and the rest of the creature's body flipped, giving Stark a spot to fire a blast through, causing the thing to explode in a shower of fiery sparks.

The Chitarui soldiers roared in anger at the death of their companion, to which Hulk gave a thundering roar of his own in response.

Stark landed as they all stood back to back in a circle, Romanoff cocking her pistol, Barton taking aim with his bow and arrow. Thor had his hammer ready and waiting in his hand, while Case and Ryder lifted their stolen Chitauri weapons.

"Guys…" Romanoff called out as more Chitauri creatures flew from the portal.

" _Call it Captain,"_ Stark said.

"Alright, listen up," Steve began. "Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Ryder, Barton, I want you on the roofs, there and there—" Steve pointed to each, one across from the other, "—Eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter, anything gets more than three blocks out you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

Barton turned to Stark, "Can you give us a lift?"

" _Right, better clench up Legolas,"_ Stark responded, taking a hold of Ryder and Barton's uniforms before lifting into the air.

"Who the hell is Legolas?" Ryder asked as they flew off.

"Thor, you gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow 'em down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up."

Thor spun his hammer and shot into the air.

To Romanoff, Steve added, "You, me and Case are gonna stay on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk…"

The Hulk gave a grunt as he eagerly waited for his orders.

Steve pointed at him, and simply said, "Smash."

With a huge grin on his face, Hulk leapt into the air, already grabbing a Chitauri soldier and slamming him into the wall before leaping to another building.

From where they were standing they could see Thor land atop one of the taller buildings, and with a roar he managed to channel lightning, not only to his hammer but through the building he'd landed on, shooting a large bolt toward the portal and frying multiple Chitarui soldiers.

Meanwhile, up on the rooftops, Ryder and Barton were blasting away any Chitauri they could find.

"Stark, you got a lot of strays sniffing your tail," Barton said through the comms.

" _I'm just tryin' to keep 'em off the streets,"_ Stark responded.

"Well they can't bank worth a damn," Barton added, not even looking back as he fired an arrow and hit something behind him, causing it to explode in a huge fireball.

" _I will roger that."_

"Shit Barton can you teach me to do that?" Ryder called out after seeing the explosion.

"Just stick to guns and ammo, Howlett," Barton fired back as he shot another arrow.

They could hear the sounds of another explosion, and Stark came back over the comm, _"Nice call, what else ya got?"_

"Thor's taking on a squadron down on Sixth."

" _And he didn't invite me,"_ Stark added in disappointment.

* * *

"Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal," Romanoff said after taking out yet another Chitauri soldier.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it," Steve pointed out.

"Well maybe it's not about guns," Romanoff added as she looked up at the portal.

"If you wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride."

"I got a ride," Romanoff said, eyeing the flying Chitauri. She walked across the street to the opposite wall, "I could use a boost though."

"Me too, I'll cover you," Case said, walking up beside her.

Steve frowned, and backed up, readying his shield as he said, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," Romanoff said, "It's gonna be fun." She took a running leap, jumped off of a nearby car to ricochet off of Steve's shield and onto one of the flying Chitauri.

Steve looked at Case, "You're next."

"I know," Case said, eyeing the flying creatures and waiting for her moment.

"Are you sure about this?"

"We both know the answer to that," Case told him, before taking a leap herself, performing the same jumps Romanoff did to grab hold of the flying vehicle. She gripped the bottom and swung upward, using her momentum to kick her way onboard, into the face of the closest Chitauri soldier. She grabbed his weapon, using it to blast away the chain and shoved him into the air. She sank her claws into the back of the creature flying, shoving it off as well, grabbing hold of the controls herself.

She steered into what she hoped was the right direction as she followed Romanoff's yells of _"Turn! Turn! Less! Less!"_

Case caught up to Romanoff in a matter of moments, fiddling with the controls to find the trigger for the blasters.

"You think you can fly that thing by yourself?" Romanoff called over.

Case grabbed hold of a trigger, sending out laser blasts and taking out incoming Chitauri.

"Never mind," Romanoff added.

As they flew through the air, Ryder's voice came into the comm, _"Cassidy what the hell are you doing flying that thing?"_

"Uh…covering Romanoff's six?"

" _And who's covering Steve's?"_

"Steve's gonna be fine, he's got a shield and he's—"

" _Cassidy!"_

"Steve didn't fight me on this," Case snapped. "You shouldn't either!"

" _Captain, the bank on Forty-Second past Madison,"_ Barton cut into the comms. _"They've cornered a lot of civilians in there."_

" _I'm on it,"_ Steve responded.

Suddenly blasts were coming up from behind them.

"Oh… _you,_ " Romanoff scowled as they both saw it was Loki. "Hawkeye!" She called out.

" _Nat, what are you doing?"_ Barton asked.

Romanoff swerved to avoid the blasts as she said, "Uh…a little help?"

It was a few moments before Barton said, _"I got him."_

An arrow shot toward Loki, which he caught in midair. He was giving Barton a look that said, _'Really?'_ before the arrow exploded in his face, knocking him into the air and toward the balcony of Stark Tower.

"Howlett, _now!_ " Romanoff added, and the two leapt off their vehicles, landing on the gravel-covered surface of Stark Tower.

After tumbling forward and hitting a nearby wall, they both got to their feet and headed toward the structure that held the Cube and was keeping the portal open.

The closer they got, Case gave hiss of pain and grabbed at her ears. Like Loki's scepter back on the Helicarrier, the Tesseract was letting off a high-pitched whine in this state, and listening to it was painful.

"You okay, Howlett?" Romanoff asked.

"Yeah," Case nodded, taking a breath to steady herself. "It's…I hear this whining noise…I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? We don't need—"

"The scepter," A new voice spoke up.

Doctor Selvig was laying on the ground, bleeding from a cut on his forehead and from his nose. He was looking at the balcony below them, but turned toward Case and Romanoff when he heard them approach.

"Doctor," Romanoff began.

As they neared him, he said, "Loki's Scepter, the energy…the Tesseract can't fight, you can't protect against yourself."

"It's not your fault—" Romanoff added in a calm voice. "It's not your fault, you didn't know what you were doing—"

"Wait," Case cut her off. This wasn't remorse or panic, Selvig was explaining something. "What do you mean, you can't protect against yourself?"

"I built in a safety to cut their power source," Selvig explained. "I think I may have known what I was doing after all."

"Loki's scepter," Case said.

"It may be able to close the portal," Selvig nodded, then looked down at the balcony below, "And I'm looking right at it."


	28. Chapter 28

**Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Eight. We are finishing the "Avengers" and going right into "Winter Soldier", which will be the last major story arc for "Flashbulb Memories".**

 **I hope I didn't butcher the "Avengers" ending too badly, constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **May 2012**

Case took a deep breath, trying to block the whine as Romanoff ran for the scepter.

"You gonna be alright?" Selvig asked as he readied his equipment for the portal. He opened the panel of a laptop and typed on a few keys.

"Yeah…" Case gave a nod. "Sooner that thing closes, the better."

Romanoff was back, carrying the glowing scepter in her hands.

"Right at the crown!" Selvig ordered.

The bubble of glowing energy sparked as Romanoff slowly shoved the pointed end of the scepter through, and grunted into the comm, "I can close it! Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!"

" _Do it!"_ Steve ordered.

" _No, wait!"_ Stark interrupted.

" _Stark these things are still comin'!"_

" _I got a nuke comin' in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute…"_ Stark explained. After a brief silence he added, _"And I know just where to put it."_

" _Stark…you know that's a one-way trip,"_ Steve pointed out.

He never received a response, and within minutes Stark was flying up past Stark Tower and right into the portal, carrying the large missile on his back, disappearing as the flew inside.

Romanoff, Selvig, and Case all stared up into the sky, waiting for him to reappear.

Around them the Chitauri creatures were all falling out of the sky like puppets whose strings had been cut.

"Come on Stark…" Romanoff murmured.

Case didn't want to blink, "Come on…don't go out like this…"

After a few moments, Steve's voice was quiet on the comm, _"Close it."_

Romanoff didn't hesitate, she stabbed the scepter into the bubble, damaging the center structure and effectively closing the portal for good.

The glowing blue tube of light and energy disappeared, the hole in the sky closing instantly.

Falling from it was none other than Stark himself, limbs flailing as he tumbled in his free fall.

" _Son of a gun,"_ Steve said.

Both Romanoff and Case breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.

* * *

Ryder had made his way down to the ground level and was standing with Steve and Thor as they watched Stark's freefall.

"He's not slowing down!" Thor stated, eyes still on the falling suit of armor. He began to spin his hammer, getting ready to take off into the air.

Out of nowhere a large green mass of muscle came flying in and grabbing hold of Stark, taking out chunks of the nearest building to slow his descent, before diving to the ground and landing on a nearby car, ricocheting to the ground and dragging chunks of concrete as he slowed to a stop.

Hulk dropped Stark to the ground before getting to his knees as the Steve, Ryder, and Thor caught up to them.

Thor yanked Stark's mask away, and Steve leaned in to see if he was breathing.

Stark wasn't moving, it almost seemed as if he was…

Hulk gave a deafening roar, which caused Stark to give a gasp and a yell as he opened his eyes. As Stark caught his breath, Hulk gave another roar and pounded his chest.

"What the hell?" Stark asked. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me!"

"Yep, he's fine," Ryder rolled his eyes.

Steve couldn't help but give a quiet laugh, and he answered Stark's question, "We won."

Stark gave a sigh of relief and he flopped backward, "Alright, yay…hurray. Good job guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day," He added with a grunt as he tried to move. "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is but I wanna try it."

Thor's gaze was on Stark Tower before he added, "We're not finished yet."

They all looked up at Stark Tower, knowing what he meant.

"And then shawarma after."

When they'd all assembled to apprehend Loki, Romanoff still had the scepter, and they found Loki trying to crawl across the floor, using the steps from Stark's sunken room design for stability.

When he turned and saw the eight of them standing behind him, along with one of Barton's arrows aimed right for him, he said, "If it's all the same to you…I'll have that drink now."

Hulk just gave a growl in response.

* * *

 **May 2015**

"So, what do you think?" Tony asked eagerly.

A three-dimensional hologram of a Kawasaki Ninja floated between them, having been reassembled from a deconstructed view that included projectiles, extra storage for said projectiles, and a few other items that Case's mind blurred over as Stark had explained them.

The diagram was surrounded by two red plastic baskets, silver napkin holders and bottles of ketchup and mustard – along with bombarding Case with new modifications to her bike, he'd offered to take her to the Shawarma Palace for lunch – the same place he'd crash landed in front of and had insisted they visit after their battle with Loki and the Chitauri, which now had an Avengers' Special after their bleak post-battle victory meal.

Though if this visit was supposed to be a bribe or an apology Case wasn't too sure just yet.

At this moment in time she just sat there chewing her order of shawarma carefully, before putting the rest back into the basket and grabbing for a napkin, "Were you one of the technical advisors for _The Fast and the Furious?_ "

"Oh ha-ha," Tony rolled his eyes. "Howlett's a comedian now."

"What do you want to add next? Ejector seats?"

"Hey, you know those were a cool idea!"

"Not the point, Tony," Case rolled her eyes. "Point being…actually, new point. No ejector seats."

"Why not?"

"Because they can malfunction!" When she saw Stark's smirk, she cut him off with a finger, "Don't you dare say it! No ejector seats! I am _vetoing_ ejector seats!"

"You're blushing Howlett."

"Shut up and eat your food," Case scowled at him.

Tony continued to smirk at her, "Speaking of the movies…which one are you up to now?"

"Just watched _Tokyo Drift_ last night with Ryder," Case answered. "I scared him a little bit when I said drifting looked fun."

"Far cry from the woman who was too scared to get on a motorcycle," Tony chuckled. "Back to the modifications though—"

"I'll think about it, Tony," Case said, picking her food back up. "I can't make any promises."

"Alright…I'll accept that for now."

Case shook her head and continued eating. Feeling a little stiff, she shifted a bit and tilted her head from side to side until her neck gave a loud _crack_ that even made Tony cringe, "What?"

"Cracking your knuckles is one thing…but the neck thing—"

"Thank Hydra for that one," Case rolled her eyes. "Never could do that before."

"From when they, uh…" He mimed a stabbing motion.

Case rolled her eyes, "Yeah, when that happened."

"Do you…do you remember any of it?"

Case took a deep breath and took another large bite of her food. She chewed on it for a few moments, and when she swallowed, she said, "Stark…I'll make you a deal."

"What deal?"

"When you're ready to tell _me_ about the…time in the Portal," Case told him. "I'll tell you about my time with Hydra."

Tony mulled that one over, "Alright, that's fair."

That was what their friendship was based on – they had an understanding that there were things that kept them awake at night. There was also the understanding that they never wanted to talk about those things with anyone…and never pushed the other to share.

Case took another bite of shawarma, "What movie is next?"

" _Fast and Furious,_ " Tony answered. He picked up his abandoned shawarma and started eating.

"They had one release last month, right?"

"Yeah, _Furious Seven._ "

"And we didn't go see that because…?"

"You haven't seen the others," Tony frowned at her. "It's the _seventh_ movie, Howlett…you're only on number four."

"And…?"

"And you can't see the seventh movie when you haven't seen the others!"

"But you can do that with _Star Wars_ …"

" _Star Wars_ is different," Tony said. "It was designed that way…you watch episodes four through six first then watch one through three."

"Why?"

"It's just the way it works," Tony shrugged as he ate. "I didn't make the rules…I just abide by them."

"Hence your hatred of the prequel movies," Case added.

"Yes, absolutely."

Case rolled her eyes, "Is there a manual for all this?"

"Having trouble keeping up?"

"Hardly…it's just exhausting," Case told him.

* * *

Sam was channel surfing in the common room of the Avengers' Tower when Case appeared with Tony.

"Hey Wilson," Stark called out as he made his way to the refrigerator. He grabbed a can of soda and then headed back for the elevator, "Make sure you consider those improvements, Howlett!"

"I'll get right on it, Stark!" Case gave him a thumbs up, then as the doors closed, she dropped her hand and rolled her eyes as she turned toward Sam, "You know, I think he showed me those movies just to try and sell me his designs?"

Sam dropped the remote on the coffee table and turned to her, "What movies?"

" _The Fast and the Furious._ "

"Huh…it's possible I guess…did he show you them all?"

"Nah, just the first two," Case told him. "Ryder and I watched the third one…Tony said I can't see the newest one till I watch the others."

"Well he is the genius."

"Whatever," Case rolled her eyes again, "So…where did we leave off?"

"Everyone went their own separate ways after the battle with Loki," Sam explained.

"Right," Case nodded. "So, we did some odd jobs together, or SHIELD asked things of Steve, and some of the times Ryder and I went along for the ride, at least before the adamantium."

"Do you want to talk about any of that?" Sam asked.

Case thought about that for a moment, "Eventually…I mean, it kinda overlaps, right? Bucky was in Siberia, I was in Siberia…shit happened, I got sent back, and then he came back again."

The elevator doors hissed open, and Tony came back out, crushing the soda can between his palms, "Hey Howlett…you're at the part of the story where you meet Wilson, right?"

"Basically," Case nodded.

"Awesome," Tony had reached the kitchenette, tossed his can in the garbage and grabbed another from the fridge before crossing the room and joining them on the couches. "Continue."

"Huh?"

"How did you two meet? Or how did you and the Capsicle meet Sam?"

Sam frowned, "You really wanna know?"

"Why not?" Tony asked innocently, taking a sip from his can.

"Just uh…" Case frowned, "You've never asked before."

"I'm asking now."

"This doesn't mean I'm taking your designs."

"Wouldn't dream of taking that leap."

"Well then…" Case said, chewing on her lip. "Well…I was with Steve…Sam was jogging around the Washington Monument, and Steve was constantly yelling out, 'On your left!'"

"Let's just skip ahead to the part where we _actually_ meet," Sam scowled.

Case chuckled, "You're still sore about that?"

Sam's scowl just deepened.

* * *

 **April 2014**

"You're such an asshole Rogers," Case laughed as she caught her breath.

The two were headed to where the African American man was sitting against the tree in the park, practically hyperventilating.

"Me? Never," Steve laughed as well, before calling out, "Need a medic?"

The man laughed as well, shaking his head as he wheezed, "I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like, thirteen miles in thirty minutes."

"I guess I got a late start."

"Really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap," the man chuckled. "Did you just take it? I assume you just took it."

"God don't encourage him," Case said, shaking her head.

"What unit you with?" Steve suddenly asked.

"Fifty-eighth Pararescue, but now I'm working down at the VA," He answered. He reached up and made a grabby-hand, "Sam Wilson."

"Steve Rogers," Steve grabbed the hand and pulled Wilson to his feet.

"I kinda put that together," Wilson said as he stood, and looked in Case's direction, "That makes you Case Howlett right?"

"Got it in one," Case said, "Nice to meet you, Wilson."

"Likewise," He stood straighter, "Must've freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

With a sigh, Steve added, "Takes some getting used to…" He motioned to Case before he added, "It's good to meet you, Sam."

The both turned away before Sam's voice called out, "It's your beds, right?"

Steve looked at Case, who looked just as confused and they both turned back to him, Steve asking, "What's that?"

"The beds, they're too soft," Sam said as he approached them. "When I was over there I'd sleep on the ground, use rock for pillows like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed and it's like…"

"Lyin' on a marshmallow," Steve supplied.

"Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor," Case added quietly.

"How long?" Steve asked.

"Two tours," Sam replied. "You must miss the good old days, huh?"

"Well, things aren't so bad," Steve admitted. "Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything—"

"Winnie's boiled cabbage still turns my stomach," Case made a pained face, pressing her arm against her midsection.

"Right, not one of her better dishes," Steve agreed. "And no polio is good."

"Don't forget the internet," Case added.

"Right, internet, so helpful. We've all been reading that a lot tryin' to catch up."

With a smile, Sam said, "Marvin Gaye, nineteen seventy-two, _Trouble Man_ soundtrack. Everything you missed jammed into one album."

"I'll put it on the list," Steve pulled a small notebook from his pocket and wrote down the item, "If you've got any music preferences, make sure you also hand 'em off to Case here…anything to bring something other than Queen into the house."

"Uh, excuse me," Case huffed as he folded her arms. "And just _who_ was it that was singing 'Radio Ga Ga' for two weeks straight in the shower?"

"That's because you were watching the Live Aid recording on the You Tube every chance you got," Steve pointed out.

Sam laughed as he watched them banter, "How long you two been dating?"

"Dating?" Steve asked in confusion.

"Oh no," Case shook her head. "No, we're not…no, no…hey, ya know, I'm gonna go do a few more laps…if you'll excuse me…" she said, backing toward the sidewalk, before taking off on another lap.

"I didn't mean to step on a nerve," Sam frowned.

"No, it's alright, strangely enough not the first time we've been asked that either," Steve added with a thoughtful frown. "But Case's like my sister. She was…" This time Steve hesitated, then explained, "She had feelings for someone we lost in the war…never really had time to process it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No, no, you're fine," Steve assured him. "No hard feelings…but I did mean it about the music. Nonstop, man."

"I'll see what I can do," Sam told him. "But Live Aid was a good show."

"It was, don't get me wrong—" Steve cut off as his phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket as Case reappeared, slightly out of breath from her run. "You get an alert?"

Case pulled her phone out of her own pocket and sighed as she showed him a screen that read _No New Alerts_. "Nope…still benched."

"Hey, maybe at least Natasha—"

"I'll call a cab, or take a bus, I'll be fine," Case shrugged him off, "Plus I got our new friend Sam here."

Steve frowned, "Cassidy—"

"Hey, who's scarier, him or me?" Case asked him.

Steve shook his head, and instead of answering reached out to shake Sam's hand and said, "Well Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run, if that's what you wanna call running."

"Oh, that's how it is?"

" _Oh,_ that's how it is."

Case shook her head, and with a roll of her eyes grumbled, " _Men._ "

"Okay," Sam laughed. As Steve turned, he added, "Anytime you wanna stop by the VA make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."

"I'll keep it in mind," Steve answered as a shiny black Corvette pulled up at the curb. The window rolled down and Natasha could be seen in the driver's seat.

"Hey fellas," She called, "Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."

"That's hilarious," Steve rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Howlett, get in the car," Natasha added. "I'm not gonna leave you stranded here."

Reluctantly Case walked up and opened the door, adjusting the passenger seat to crawl into the space the Corvette laughingly called a back seat.

"How you doin'?" Sam said, kneeling so he could see Natasha through the window.

"Hey," Natasha replied with a smile.

Case rolled her eyes again and folded her arms as Steve put the seat back in position and told Sam, "Can't run everywhere."

"No, you can't," Sam smirked.

Steve shook his head as Natasha rolled up the window and took off into the morning traffic.


	29. Chapter 29

**Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Nine. Getting deeper into the "Winter Soldier" storyline, as well as some probing into the fiasco of Siberia. I hope you enjoy. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **April 2014 – The Triskelion, SHIELD Headquarters**

Case sat in the small sitting area, right leg bouncing up and down nervously. She was tapping the freshly manicured artificial nails of her right hand on the armrest of the chair, trying to keep her fingers out of her mouth – one of the reasons she'd gotten the manicure in the first place was because she'd chewed her real fingernails down to nubs.

The room before her was separated by walls of glass – horizontal blinds could be seen but all were closed, and the door to the next room was also clear glass, with the same blinds, all closed.

 _That's comforting,_ Case sighed, opting to grip the armrests of her chair instead of tapping her fingernails. She wanted to just get up and leave, but she knew this was her only ticket into getting back into the field.

Instead she started tapping her fingernails again. Slower this time…till a familiar rhythm formed. As a smile spread across her face, she raised her hands and started snapping her fingers instead, and in a quiet voice crooned, _"She keeps her Moet et Chandon in her pretty cabinet. 'Let them eat cake' she says, just like Marie Antionette. A built-in remedy, for Kruschev and Kennedy. At anytime an invitation you can't decline…"_

She leaned back, finally able to relax a bit while waiting and her eyes drifted shut as she added, _"Caviar and cigarettes, well versed in etiquette. Extraordinarily nice—"_

When she opened her eyes, she saw a room with dark gray brick walls. She was sitting on a bed with a threadbare blanket, like one she'd woken up in after she was defrosted.

Still wrapped up in the song, she continued, _"She's a Killer Queen. Gunpowder, gelatin, dynamite with a laser beam. Guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime. Ooh recommended at the price, insatiable an appetite. Wanna try?"_

Case got to her feet and began to move to the beat of the song she could only hear inside her head. _"To avoid complications, she never kept the same address. In conversation she spoke just like a baroness. Met a man from China, went down to Geisha Minah—"_

"Agent Howlett?" A voice suddenly called out.

Case opened her eyes. She was still seated in the chair in the waiting room, although now there was someone standing in the doorway of the office across from her.

"Agent Howlett?" The woman repeated, "You can come in now."

Case took a deep breath and got to her feet, heading through the door as the woman closed it behind her.

On the first day she'd introduced herself as Doctor Snow. She was taller than Case, blonde hair tied back in a neat bun and dressed professionally in a dark suit. Her heels made little noise in the carpeted room as she took a seat, motioning for Case to take the empty chair next to her.

"Did you fall asleep out there while you were waiting?"

"No, I…" Case frowned. She wasn't sure what that was. "I uh…I don't think I was asleep but…"

"You seem nervous," the blonde said in a soft voice, "I can assure you, there's nothing to worry about here."

"Easy for you to say," Case grumbled. She took the seat the blonde motioned toward and took a deep breath.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?"

"Yeah, just sign that little slip that says I can go back out into the field," Case told her.

The blonde chuckled, "I'm sorry, Agent Howlett, that's not quite how this works. But I'll sign in due time, so long as I can confirm you're ready and there's no lingering problems we have to solve."

 _Great, I'm never going out into the field again,_ Case thought bitterly. They'd been having the same conversation for the last month, and she _still_ wasn't signing. "Where do we start today?"

"You said you weren't asleep…but your eyes were closed, and it sounds like you were dreaming."

"It wasn't a dream," Case said immediately. She chewed on her lip, "I was…it was the room I was kept in. When I was with Hydra…"

Doctor Snow sat up quickly, "Do you remember anything else?"

"I remember…" Case frowned, "The room…my clothes…combat pants and this weird zip-up shirt, shockingly well for training, and I was barefoot. Bored maybe? I got up off the bed and started dancing to 'Killer Queen'."

"Oh, so a dream them," Snow looked defeated.

"No, it wasn't a dream," Case told her again. "It really happened."

"You expect me to believe that you were stuck in a Hydra compound and got bored, so you stated singing Queen hits?"

Case thought that one over, "Yes, actually."

Snow scrubbed a hand over her face, "Alright…so we just need to figure out what triggers these flashes, and maybe more will come back to you over time. What were you doing before you saw this… _memory_?"

Case gritted her teeth at the tone, she didn't like when what she said wasn't treated seriously. "I was singing 'Killer Queen'."

"Agent Howlett—"

"You asked."

"Alright, but I thought you said music wasn't acting as triggers for your memories," Doctor Snow pointed out.

Case thought that one over, "Maybe I wasn't listening to the right songs…I've been on a real Queen kick lately, just ask Steve. Odd thing is I've listened to 'Killer Queen' before and nothing came back. I'm a little surprised something came back this time."

"Did you sing along with it or did you just listen?"

"Listen…" Case sighed, "I dunno…I'll have to go through my music again I guess, see what'll trigger what memories."

It was odd, because they'd skipped last week's session – Doctor Snow had a last-minute appointment and had to reschedule. During that time, she'd gone through her whole playlist – thousands of songs in her iPod – nothing had come back. In fact, the only progress that Case could say she had made was that she had spent a week without any anxiety attacks or dread – which she always felt leading up to her appointments with Doctor Snow. Although the woman had presented herself as a kind and caring woman, there was something that Case felt was off.

The same anxious feeling that she felt when she was trying to remember her time with Hydra was the same feeling that presented itself before an impending visit with Doctor Snow. She remembered feelings – anger, hatred, betrayal – but not why she felt those. And because she knew she was missing something, it freaked her out. She didn't like having her head messed with, didn't like forgetting things.

Something had happened, and it terrified her to not know the full story.

"Agent Howlett, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Case said automatically.

"You look like you're about to bolt," Doctor Snow frowned.

"Look, give me a minute, alright?" Case snapped. She took a deep breath, realizing for the first time she was white-knuckled around the armrests of her chair.

"You're closing off again," Doctor Snow pointed out. "It might help you to open up about your feelings."

"What feelings?" Case asked.

"Why are you feeling panicked?"

"Because I was held hostage for an extended period of time," Case rolled her eyes. "Because I have very vague memories of the time, and I know something happened but for the life of me I have no idea what! I don't like it!"

"What do you remember? You said you have vague memories, is there anything you'd like to put into words?"

Case grew quiet. She didn't need to go off on the shrink and get benched even longer than she was already going to be. She took a breath and finally said, "Anger…a lot of anger."

"Any other feelings?"

"Betrayal…guilt," Case admitted.

"Guilt?" Snow asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why did you feel guilty?"

Case shrugged, "Got me…I can barely remember anyone's faces let alone why I felt the way I did. I can only imagine I was pissed as hell that Hydra got me."

"Well, let's try a different tactic. Have you had any other…I mean, have you had any dreams lately?"

"Dreams?" Case repeated, trying to fight a scowl at the original question the doctor was trying to ask.

"Sure…maybe something that seemed like a nightmare or outlandish was something that happened."

"You're asking an insomniac about their dreams," Case pointed out.

"You've admitted that you can still sleep from time to time," Snow pointed out. "And you looked like you were asleep out in that chair outside."

Case barely suppressed a growl as she shifted in the chair, "Mostly my _dreams_ include being submerged in water with huge needles hanging over my head, _that_ part came back with crystal clear clarity…but lately…"

When she didn't continue, Snow asked, "Lately…?"

Case chewed on her lip, "There is…one dream. I'm back on the mountain, before the train mission…and Bucky's walking away from me." She blinked back tears that suddenly filled her eyes, and she said, "But then…something changes."

"Oh?"

"My mother starts walking toward him," Case explained. "Out of nowhere…she just kinda appears out of the snow. When he sees her…he turns around to face me, and he's got this look like he doesn't want to get closer to her and he reaches his right arm toward me. She grabs him by his left arm and starts pulling him away."

"Did Bucky ever meet your mom?"

"No," Case said matter of factly. "My mother died before we moved to Brooklyn…probably the reason _why_ we moved in the first place."

"I thought you never got that confirmed," Snow frowned thoughtfully.

"It was over ninety years ago…if she wasn't dead by then she's got to be dead by now," Case pointed out.

* * *

"I guess that should've been my hint that something was very wrong with that picture," Case said as she filed her nails.

They'd gone upstairs to Case's apartment – Tony had said something about needing to get back to work and ventured into his lab, so it was just her and Sam upstairs.

"Because she wanted to confirm that he never met your mother?" Sam asked from beside her on the sofa.

"That she asked if it was never confirmed," Case told him. "But actually, that part wouldn't make sense. There's very few people alive who my mother would willingly confirm that relation to."

"Have you seen her at all?"

"Yep," Case nodded. She went back to focusing on her nails as she said, "The woman hates Queen, says they were a band of idiots. This coming from the woman who ran back to Hydra when we were five."

"So…what _do_ you know about that story?"

Case paused, putting her nail file on the coffee table while taking a sip out of her nearby soda can. "Not much…we tried asking, but Dad was really cagy about it. What I _do_ remember is my mom was on edge for a while, always looking over her shoulder at every little sound. Then one day my Uncle Victor paid her a visit."

"Just her?"

"Dad had already left for work," Case explained. "When Dad found out Mom was pregnant, apparently he started work on renovations to our house. He might have forgotten everything that happened with Hydra, but Mom and Uncle Victor didn't. He designed a small hiding place for us, this tiny closet hidden through a doorway in the closet of their bedroom. If anything bad were to happen, the rule was to hide in there until Mom, Dad, or Uncle Victor came to get us."

"Convenient, if not a bit paranoid," Sam admitted, "Smart plan for someone trying to stay safe from Hydra."

"Yeah, I guess," Case gave a noncommittal shrug. "So…Uncle Victor comes to the house…and Mom ushers us in the closet. Doesn't say anything, doesn't even act like anything's wrong…just tells us to hide inside and she'll come to get us." She sat back on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest, "I think at some point Ryder and I just came to the agreement she was dead, if not to try and find some closure with the whole situation."

"You said that her disappearing contributed to your insomnia," Sam remembered.

Case nodded, "Yeah…I would stay up at night, hoping she'd come through the door. When it finally sank in that she wasn't coming back, it morphed into a fear that Ryder and my dad would disappear in the middle of the night. So, I would stay up to make sure they didn't leave…when we settled in Brooklyn, I'd check in Ryder's room and my dad's room at night to make sure they were still there."

"Did you ever do that with Steve and Bucky?"

"During the war, yeah," Case nodded. "Sometimes it was easier…we huddled in the same room in a burned-out building…other times I snuck out of my tent when I was sure I wouldn't get caught to patrol, sniffing out Steve and Bucky's tent along with Ryder's…unless Bucky was with me. He'd tighten his hold on me and keep reminding me everyone was fine and to try and go back to sleep."

"He knew of your rituals?"

"He _caught_ me during one of them," Case admitted. "We were seven and having a sleepover at his house. We were all camped out in the middle of their living room, and I had a nightmare. That was…" She sighed, "That was when I was still hiding in closets."

"Why?"

"I think it was residual from the day my mother disappeared…" Case explained. "I remember having a nightmare…couldn't tell you what happened, but it terrified me to no end. I remember running into the coat closet and bursting into tears. It was kind of like a reflex…when in doubt, run and hide in the closet. Wait for Mom and Dad to get you." She gave a small smile as she added, "Next thing I heard was Bucky knocking on the door asking me if I was okay."

As the smile faded, and a dark look started to come over Case's face, Sam said, "What happened to him wasn't your fault, Case."

"That's not entirely true, Sam."

"He fell off of a train, Case—"

"Sam," Case cut him off. She got to her feet, walking across the room to the large floor-to-ceiling window to stare out at the city.

"Case…?"

Case chewed on her lip, before asking, "What do you think he'd say if he knew the truth?" She turned to face him, leaning back against the warm glass, "What do you think he'd do? How do you think he'd feel?"

Sam frowned, "I really don't know."

Case gave a nod and folded her arms, "I was asked that every day when I was there. Fed some bullshit lines about how he'd hate me, how he'd…" She bit her lip, trying to remain calm. A tear rolled down her cheek as she said, "She didn't know the truth at that time…so she really didn't know how hard she was hitting with that. She knew Bucky was a sore spot for me, but…"

As she grew quiet, Sam got concerned, "Case…you said it yourself, it was bullshit. They were lies—"

"They hurt him, Sam…over and over again," Her voice was barely above a whisper at this point.

"Case…whatever you're thinking…whatever's happening…what happened to him was _not_ your fault!" Sam said firmly. "That was Hydra, and Hydra alone."

"I was _there,_ Sam!" Case snapped at him. "I was there! I should have…I had the ability, my dad cut through doors when he got free from Hydra! I should've…I could've done better!"

"You can't think like that, Case!" Sam protested. "Steve and Ryder don't blame you! You shouldn't blame yourself!"

"Steve and Ryder don't blame me because they're too busy blaming themselves!" Case argued. "Ryder because he let him go at the factory, Steve because we never got the chance to look for him after he fell!"

"And you blame yourself because you didn't take him with you when you escaped."

Case frowned at him, "I didn't escape."

"Huh?"

"I didn't escape…they kicked me out."

"They kicked you out? Why?"

The side of her mouth quirked up in a tiny smirk, "He _knew_ me, Sam."

"But if they kept erasing his memories that wouldn't matter."

"In theory, yes…I didn't get the full logic behind the answer, I just know that that was one of the reasons why," Case admitted. She moved back toward the couch, "Anyway…where was I?"

"What do you mean…?"

"Right, the Triskelion…" Case added absently.

* * *

 **April 2014**

"Steve!" Case called out.

Steve looked like a man on a mission as he marched through SHIELD Headquarters, even though he'd just come back from one. He was still in his uniform, minus the cowl and shield, and did not look happy at all. He turned to face her and gave a small smile as she caught up to him, "Hey Shorty."

"Hey, hey, we talked about this," Case frowned at him, "Only those who aren't serum-infused can call me Shorty…you were my height until all this happened," She added as she bopped him in the side with the back of her hand.

"Whatever, _Shorty_ ," Steve chuckled, then gave a yelp as she jabbed him in the side with her finger.

"What's got you in such a hurry?"

Steve's smile fell, and he sighed, "Mission went sideways…gotta go see Fury. Come on."

Case frowned, "I doubt they'd want me—"

" _Now_ Howlett," Steve ordered over his shoulder, already on his way.

"Right behind you Cap," she sighed as she caught up to him.

Steve led the way into Fury's office, already calling out, "You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?"

"I didn't lie," Fury said calmly. He was seated at his desk with his back to them, facing the large plate glass windows of his office. He didn't turn as he added, "Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share," Steve added as he reached the desk.

"I'm not _obliged_ to do anything," Fury told him, cheek still resting on his closed fist.

"Those hostages could have _died_ , Nick," Steve growled.

That finally made Fury turn, "I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." He noticed Case was standing next to him, "Agent Howlett."

"Nick," Case added with a smirk.

"Soldiers trust each other. That's what makes it an army, not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns!" Steve snapped.

"Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye," Fury said, getting to his feet. He braced himself on his desk, "Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with _everything_."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called _compartmentalization._ Nobody spills the secrets, because nobody knows them all."

"Except you."

Fury stood straighter, and after a few moments said, "You're wrong about me…I _do_ share. I'm nice like that."

* * *

"Insight bay," Fury commanded as he led them into an elevator.

" _Captain Rogers and Agent Howlet do not have clearance for Project Insight,"_ the computer said, flashing pictures of Case and Steve on the screen, each one stating ACCESS DENIED.

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J."

" _Confirmed."_

The elevator began to move, and it grew quiet.

After a few moments, Steve said, "You know, they used to play music."

"Yeah," Fury answered, "My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. Granddad worked in a nice building, got good tips. He'd walk home every night, a roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag, he'd say 'Hi', people would say 'Hi' back. Time went on, the neighborhood got rougher, he'd say 'Hi' and they'd say, 'Keep on Steppin'.' Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter."

"Can't blame him," Case admitted.

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked.

Fury gave a laugh, "Every week some punk would say, 'What's in the bag?'"

"What would he do?"

"He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones, and a loaded twenty-two magnum," Fury said as the elevator reached some of the lower levels of the Triskelion. "Yeah, Granddad loved people…but he didn't trust them very much."

Steve turned to see out through the glass, and his mouth dropped open. He nudged Case to turn as well, and her eyes widened at the sight.

"Yeah, I know…they're a little bit bigger than a twenty-two."

They'd reached a hangar where three giant helicarriers were currently being stored. Each had massive guns attached around the structure, cranes were lifting smaller fighter jets onto the carriers.

As they left the elevator and walked across the floor, Fury explained, "This is Project Insight. Three next-generation helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

"Launched from the _Lemurian Star_ ," Steve stated.

Ignoring his comment, Fury added, "Once we get them in the air, they never need to come down. Continuous sub-orbital flight, courtesy of our new repulsor engines."

"Stark?" Both Case and Steve asked as they walked beneath one of the repulsor engines, staring up at the huge structure.

"He had a few suggestions once he got an up-close look at our old turbines," Fury admitted. He led them to a platform that overlooked one of the carriers, and pointed to the guns underneath the structure, "These new long-range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole." He turned his gaze from the carrier to Steve and Case, "We're gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

Case frowned as she took everything in, "Isn't that what those conspiracy nuts on the internet are so concerned about? What do they call it…Skynet or something?"

Fury's back straightened and he looked downright insulted at the insinuation, "That's not what this is."

"But she's got a point though," Steve said, "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime."

"We can't afford to wait that long."

"Who's 'we'?"

"After New York I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once, we're way ahead of the curve."

"By holding a gun to everyone on Earth and callin' it protection."

Fury turned to face him directly, "You know, I read those SSR files. 'Greatest Generation'? You guys did some nasty stuff."

"Yeah, we compromised…sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well," Steve frowned. "But we did it so that people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear."

"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. And it's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap."

"Don't hold your breath."

As Case went to follow Steve, Fury added, "Wait a moment, Howlett."

Steve looked at Case, but she shrugged and motioned for him to go on head. She turned back to Fury and folded her arms, "Let's cut to the chase, I'm with Steve on this one. Jokes aside…this isn't freedom, not by a long shot."

"That's not what this is about," Fury told her. He studied her for a moment, then added, "It's way past time for you to get back into the field. It's been what, a year?"

"That's what I've been saying," Case agreed. "I think I'm more than ready to go back…the way I understand it Pierce wants me cleared by a SHIELD shrink and said shrink won't sign off on it. I think it's because I still don't remember much from the ordeal."

"So?" Fury asked.

Case shrugged, "I'm kind of resigned to the fact it's probably never coming back. I can either wallow in it or I can use what little I have to move forward and get better than I was…I have no problem with choosing option two, I just need the clearance."

Fury stared at her one more time, then turned back toward the helicarriers, "I'll talk to Pierce."

"Come again?" Case asked.

"I said I'll have a talk with Pierce," Fury repeated. "This has gone on long enough."

Case stood straighter and a smile lit her face, "Thank you sir!"

"Don't make me regret this Howlett."

"Have I ever let you down?" Case asked.

Fury didn't meet her gaze, "Dismissed, Howlett."

Case turned on her heel and practically skipped toward the elevator where Steve was waiting, grin still glued to her face.

"You're in a better mood," Steve pointed out, a smile forming on his face as well at the sight.

The doors closed behind Case, and she said, "Fury said he'd talk to Pierce to get me back into the field!"

"Are you sure you're ready? It's only been a year," Steve asked in mock concern. He gave a grunt when Case smacked him in the stomach, and said, "Joke! It was a joke! I'm glad you're getting back into the field."

"Good," Case said, smirking up at him as she leaned against one of the railings.

"One question I did have though…"

"What's that?"

"What the hell is Skynet?"


	30. Chapter 30

**Welcome to chapter Thirty, the next chapter in "The Winter Soldier". Also, I want to cover, much like in the last chapter with the song "Killer Queen" I do not own "Pompeii" by Bastille.**

 **Hope you enjoy the next installment; constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **April 2014**

" _Welcome to the Smithsonian. Visitor information booths are available on the second level."_

Case and Steve blended into the throngs of people, both wearing dark jackets and ball caps as they looked around the "Captain America: The Living Legend and Symbol of Courage" exhibit in the Smithsonian.

It began with a wall pained black, with white text, the first reading, _"Welcome Back, Cap,"_ a direct quote from President Matthew Ellis, right above a screen with an American, along with a brief overview of how Steve became the super soldier during World War Two.

As they walked in, a male voice said, _"A symbol to the nation, a hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice."_

"They really like to emphasize that last part, don't they?" Case murmured to Steve as they walked.

" _Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of America warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first Super-Soldier."_

They stood in the background, eyes on the chart that showed Steve's pre-serum size, his height at five foot four and weight at ninety-five pounds, then the post-serum size when he stood at six foot two and weighed in at two forty. The screens next to the comparisons flashed between Steve before and Steve after, with museum visitors comparing their heights and how they measured up against Cap.

Case gave a small chuckle as she looked at the post-serum picture and noticing Steve was shirtless in it said, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they gave you some impressive pecs, Stevie."

"Thanks Cassidy," Steve rolled his eyes as his cheeks darkened.

"Also…I think someone's on to us," Case added, giving a small wave.

The kid was probably about ten years old and wearing a light blue shirt with Steve's shield printed on it. He stared at them both like he wasn't sure if they were real.

Steve gave the kid a small smile, and raised his finger to his lips, "Shh."

The kid slowly nodded.

Case looked further ahead, and said, "Hey…it's me!"

Steve turned to face her, "Huh?"

"Over there, look!" Case said excitedly and raced over to the next part of the exhibit.

Steve looked over to the kid, and jerked his thumb in Case's direction, "And she's gonna be ninety-six in June…"

The kid, still seemingly too stunned to respond, gave a small smile as Steve followed his friend.

That area was dedicated to the early career of Captain America, including pictures of the group of dancing girls saluting the camera and a photo of Steve holding a motorcycle above his head with a few of them sitting on top of it but overall it stood as a dedication piece to the one dancing girl who had gone above and beyond the call of duty.

A mannequin was dressed in the typical outfit that the USO girls had worn – a dress that had a blue halter-style bodice with white stars sewn onto the collar and a red and white striped skirt that ended on the upper thighs, showing off the colors that the black and white photos were unable to capture, with the matching blue hat perched to the side on the faceless plastic head. Also, on the body were white gloves covering the plastic arms above the elbows and silver high-heeled shoes adorned the feet of the mannequin.

To the left, smiling brightly and giving a jaunty military salute was a photo of Case herself, hat perched atop of dark ringlet curls that brushed over her shoulders.

" _Private First-Class Cassidy Howlett was the only female member of the Howling Commandos. She earned her place by bravely following Captain Rogers into battle to save the imprisoned members of the One-Oh-Seventh, which included her twin brother Corporal Ryder James Howlett and their best friend, Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes."_

"Is that what they're calling it?" Case asked, cocking her eyebrows at Steve.

Steve shrugged, "Better than saying you followed me on a suicide mission to rescue your brother and Bucky."

"I guess…" Case sighed. She looked at the pictures, following the line and watching the pictures change from "Case the Dancing Girl" to "Case the Howling Commando" – high-heeled dancing shoes and ringlet curls making way to hastily chopped off hair and combat boots.

She made her way through the different pictures and videos, some including Viola when she was still a dancer, some with both twins after the rescue and during interviews, when she found a picture of the four of them. When it was taken Steve had hurriedly motioned them over, so Bucky, Case, and Ryder all had surprised looks on their faces when the flash had gone off.

" _These three are my oldest friends," Steve had said, "Wouldn't be here without them."_

 _One of the reporters had snapped a photo, the flash blinding the three for a moment._

" _What's this about?" Bucky had asked._

" _News piece regarding America's newest icon," The reporter without the camera explained. "The people want details about this 'Captain America'."_

They continued to wander, looking at the display of Steve's motorcycle, a group shot of the team posted behind a row of uniforms, hearing the narrator recite, _"Battle tested, the Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission: taking down Hydra, the Nazi rogue science division."_

Both turned around and came almost face to face with a display that was clear glass, but with gray text on it, the top of it reading, _"A Fallen Comrade."_

Case then hesitated when she saw it…more specifically; she stopped dead in her tracks as the automated voice narrated, _"Best friends since childhood, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield."_

"Steve!" Case called out, her dead stop earning a few glares from other museum visitors.

"Right here," Steve assured her, grabbing hold of her hand and leading her forward, "Are you gonna be okay? We can leave—"

"No, no just…" Case took a deep breath, squeezing his hand in hers. She gave him a weak smile, and said, "I'm fine…we're okay."

" _Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country,"_ the narrator added.

Below the display were screens, one of them set with a clip of Steve and Bucky standing side by side, Bucky saying something that made him crack up with Steve giving a huge smile of his own.

Case cocked her head, and suddenly the room grew dark. She couldn't see anything, but could hear a song playing,

 _ **But if you close your eyes  
Does it almost feel like  
Nothing changed at all?  
And if you close your eyes  
Does it almost feel like  
You've been here before?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?**_

Case blinked, "Bucky?"

The display was in front of her, the black and white image of Bucky's face staring out at nothing. She could see other museum patrons across the way through the transparent display.

Steve cocked an eyebrow at her, his hand currently squeezing her shoulder. "No…'fraid not, Case."

"Oh…right…" Her eyes went back to the screen.

Steve kept a careful eye on Case, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…it's just…" Case chewed on her lip, "I know it's a picture…but it's the first time I've seen him since…" She wanted to say _'Since he fell'_ but for some reason that seemed wrong…that was impossible, right? Bucky had fallen, Bucky was gone…like the narrator was saying, he'd given his life in service to his country.

"When you're ready…there's also a small item I think you'll find particularly interesting…I don't know if it'll be good or bad but…"

"Oh, is there a part dedicated to you and Peggy Carter being a thing? Wouldn't surprise me, we had a pool going on when you'd finally make a move."

"No, not that…" Steve rolled his eyes and marched them over to a smaller, quiet area of the exhibit, "This."

Case frowned at the picture on the small plaque. It was of her and Bucky, he had an arm around her back, and she was held close to his body…but they were facing each other and away from the camera. In fact, Case could remember that day very clearly…

" _Think that'll really work?" Steve asked, closing his compass._

 _As the reporters started clearing out, Case assured him, "Steve, it'll work…It'll show her what she means to you."_

" _Think she'll forgive me about the fondue thing?"_

 _Case pinched at the bridge of her nose, "Steve…while that was a stupid thing to do and say…this is Howard Stark we're talking about!"_

" _So?" Steve asked._

 _With a sigh, she turned to Bucky, "Buck, you wanna take this one?"_

 _Bucky chuckled, "Stark's been with a lot of women…flirts with anything in a skirt and was probably offering more than just the fondue."_

" _So then—"_

" _No, still wrong," Case cut him off, before heading deeper into the campsite. She made her way toward the edge of camp, enjoying the quieter area and the trees surrounding them._

 _A few moments later she could hear footsteps…footsteps in heavy boots, and she knew who was walking up behind her._

" _Enjoying the scenery?" Bucky asked as he reached her._

" _A little bit," Case smiled as she turned to him, "Makes me think of my childhood…before we came to Brooklyn. When we still lived in the Rockies our house was surrounded by trees…"_

 _Bucky wrapped an arm around her, and hugged her close, "So you really think the idea of the compass thing is romantic?"_

 _Case shrugged, "Well if he keeps a picture of her in his footlocker, she'll never see it…this way she can see it."_

 _Bucky gave nod, and then asked, "Is it true you have your showgirl dress in your locker?"_

 _Case raised her eyebrows at him, "Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't."_

" _Maybe?"_

" _Maybe I burned the damn thing."_

" _Damn, I was hoping to see you in it someday."_

The memory of the flashbulb brought Case back to reality. "I remember that day…the photographer snapped a picture and Bucky yelled at him to get lost."

"Read the description," Steve pointed out.

Case glanced at the small description of the picture, _Bucky Barnes and Case Howlett – rumors of the true status of their relationship had been flying around since the formation of the Howling Commandos. This picture is the only in existence that argues the point those two weren't just the 'good friends' they claimed to be. Although both Howlett and Barnes maintained their 'just friends' status to the world, many sources came forward to say they'd seen the two disappear together after the day was done._

"More like many Commandos," Case rolled her eyes.

"Were they right?" Steve asked.

Case frowned at him, "Huh?"

"Were they right? Not a hard question," Steve told her.

Case chewed on her lip, and she gave a sigh as she said, "They were."

"Case…" Steve began, but Case took off to another portion of the exhibit.

She led them to a dark room, where an interview with Peggy Carter was playing, dated from 1953.

" _That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve…Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a Hydra blockade that had pinned our allies down for months…he saved over a thousand men. Including the man who would…who would become my husband, as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."_

Case looked over at Steve, who held his compass in his hands, staring at the photo of Peggy he'd put there decades before. She reached over and squeezed his arm in a comforting gesture. He gave her a sad smile and put a hand over hers as the interview ended.

* * *

The meeting had already started by the time Case had arrived. Steve had wanted to go see Peggy, but Case had declined. It sounded like Steve needed a visit with his best girl in private…plus it was hard when Peggy had a memory slip in the middle of a visit.

Although for Case, it was hard going from seeing Peggy in the prime of her life to the elderly woman she now was, slowly being stripped of everything she'd ever known because of Alzheimer's disease. She'd almost cried when she saw Peggy stop mid conversation and look at them like it was the first time – they'd had that moment at least five times since coming out of the ice. It was like watching a car wreck every time Steve would smile and tell her he couldn't leave his best girl when she owed him a dance.

So, Case had hopped on her bike and headed down to the VA, opting to sneak in and take a seat in the very back seat closest to the door.

Sam Wilson stood at the podium and met her gaze with a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He listened to the others, remaining a calming presence at the front of the room.

She lost track of time as she listened to the other soldiers tell their stories of their struggles, of the tough time they were having adapting to civilian life.

"The thing is, I think it's getting worse," a female voice was saying. "A cop pulled me over last week. He thought I was drunk…"

It was at that moment Case heard footsteps. She looked to her left and saw Steve in the doorway, leaning against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"I swerved to miss a plastic bag," The woman admitted, continuing with her story. "I thought it was an IED."

Sam addressed the small group, "Some stuff you leave there. Other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase, or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

After the meeting dismissed, Sam walked to the back where Case still stood and asked, "What did you think?"

"Makes me think here I am complainin' about my petty problems," Case answered honestly.

"Nah, don't think of it like that," Sam told her.

"Maybe I'm just not ready for group therapy," Case shrugged as they walked up to where Steve stood against the wall.

"Look who it is, the Runnin' Man," Sam chuckled.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense."

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems," Sam told him, grabbing a stack of pamphlets to straighten them. "Guilt…regret…"

"You lose someone?" Steve asked.

Sam nodded, "My wingman, Riley, flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothin' we hadn't done a thousand times before. Until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky." He had his arms folded, and didn't make eye contact as he said, "Nothin' I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry," Steve said quietly.

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?"

"The number of people giving me orders is down to about zero, so hell yeah," Sam smiled. "You thinkin' about getting out?"

"No…I don't know," Steve admitted. "To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam asked, and as Steve laughed at that he added, "Just a great idea off the top of my head."

"He's right, Steve, you'd make a killing," Case added with a smile.

"Seriously though you could do whatever you want to do," Sam added, "What makes you happy?"

Steve paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know."

* * *

"I'd still pay big money to see Steve step into a ring," Case laughed at the memory.

"I've always wanted to ask," Sam asked, "We know about Steve…but what about you?"

Case chewed on her lip, "I dunno. At the time I was benched, so getting back into the field was a dream come true. I wouldn't be able to do it alone, you know? If I found someone to share the time with then maybe…something that gave me a reason to retire."

"What makes you happy?"

Case chuckled, "Music, actually. After we defrosted, it took me a while to get back into the swing of things…spent a lot of time on You Tube, listening to different genres, different bands. Fell in love with Queen especially, as you can tell. I sing when I'm bored, sing to distract myself…I relate different songs to people, different emotions…"

"And what about that one…when you were in the exhibit?"

"'Pompeii'," Case told him. "That's definitely one that made some memories come back…a lot of them revolving around Bucky."

"Any you'd like to share?"

* * *

"Okay, come on Case, it's not that hard," Case muttered, pacing back and forth in front of the stoop of Steve's apartment building. "All you gotta do is go upstairs and knock on the door…"

She'd tried to go to her own place, but the memory flashes made her afraid to be alone. It was bringing up the old feelings she'd had after she came back…the fear that someone was going to be lurking in the shadows when she got home.

And so, she'd turned her bike around and took the familiar path to Steve's place. She parked her bike next to his and was trying to figure out the best way to go upstairs and ask him to stay with her for the night…

"Case? What're you doing here?"

Case gave a yelp and whirled around, claws extended and gleaming in the light from the streetlamps. "Steve…don't scare me like that!"

Steve cocked an eyebrow as he calmly walked down the steps, unfazed by the appearance of the claws, "Actually it's a good thing you're here…there's someone in my apartment."

Case cocked an eyebrow of her own, "And you're down here because…?"

"They broke in and decided to start playing my records," Steve told her.

"Well that's a bit rude," Case admitted.

"Rude's not exactly the word I was going for, but I'll take it," Steve shook his head, "Come on."

They both headed around the side of the building, silently moving up the fire escape so Steve could open one of his windows. He quietly slid it open, slipping in with Case right behind.

She sniffed the air, throwing an arm in front of Steve as she tapped her nose three times. She could smell blood in the air, proceed with caution.

Steve gave her a nod and crept deeper into his apartment, taking corners quickly and grabbing his discarded shield when he walked past it.

She nearly bumped into him when he slumped against the entryway of his living room, and she finally recognized the other scent in the air.

"I don't remember giving you a key," Steve sighed.

Case rounded the corner as Fury sat up from where he was slumped in Steve's armchair, saying "You really think I'd need one?" the director hesitated before saying, "My wife kicked me out."

"I didn't know you were married," Case frowned, folding her arms across her chest.

"A lot of things you don't know about me."

"We know, Nick. That's the problem," Steve said as he turned on the light.

With the room illuminated it became more obvious Fury was injured. Steve opened his mouth to say something, but Fury made a gesture for him to remain silent. Instead, the director turned out the light and typed a message into his phone and showed them: EARS EVERYWHERE.

Steve and Case exchanged looks before looking around the apartment.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash."

He typed out another message on his phone SHIELD COMPROMISED.

Case's eyes widened as Steve asked, "Who else knows about your wife?"

His cell phone then read YOU AND ME, and he slowly got to his feet as he responded vocally as he took a few steps closer to them, "Just…my friends."

"Is that what we are?"

Fury shrugged, "That's up to you."

That was when three gunshots hit Fury in the chest, causing the man to yell out in pain before collapsing onto the ground.

Steve and Case grabbed Fury by his arms and dragged him into the kitchen, away from the shooter. Steve straightened, but Fury latched onto his arm. He opened his palm and showed Steve a flash drive, "Don't…trust…anyone…"

Steve looked at Case as he took the flash drive.

Someone had been banging on his front door and they could hear it slam against the wall as it opened.

"Captain Rogers?" A feminine voice called out.

A blonde woman came into Case's line of sight – Steve's neighbor Kate, if memory served – and she was holding up a gun. Case's claws were instantly out, not trusting this at all.

When the blonde noticed Case staring at her, she added, "Agent Howlett, I'm Agent Thirteen of SHIELD Special Service."

"Kate?" Steve asked in confusion.

She rounded the corner, and to Steve she said, "I'm assigned to protect you."

"On whose order?" Steve demanded.

The blonde, Agent 13, gave a small gasp as she took in the sight of Fury and answered, "His." She dropped to her knees, did a quick assessment of Fury, then pulled a walkie-talkie out of the pocket of her shirt, "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."

A voice answered from the walkie-talkie, _"Do we have a twenty on the shooter?"_

Steve and Case looked at the other window, and they could see movement across the street in the form of a gleaming metal arm.

"Tell him we're in pursuit," Steve said.

"Steve?" Case asked, but Steve was already moving, shield up and jumping through the window, glass shattering on impact. "Dammit Steve, can't you use a door like everyone else?" She yelled after him as she took her leap, following him through the broken window across the street.

They could see through the glass in the ceiling, the shooter was racing across the rooftop. Case followed closely behind Steve, as he used his shield like a battering ram, bursting through doors trying to keep up with the shooter.

 _He's fast…_

 _A flash of messy brown hair and a gleaming silver arm._

 _He's strong…_

" _He's called the Winter Soldier, or the Asset. He's Hydra's weapon."_

" _Hydra's weapon, huh? And just how does Hydra acquire a weapon like him?"_

Steve burst through a window, causing glass to rain down on the rooftop as he flung his shield at the man with the metal arm.

The man spun around and caught it in his metal left hand. He wore a mask, almost like a muzzle, and had black paint smeared around his blue eyes. He didn't hesitate as he flung the shield back toward Steve with full force.

When the Soldier moved, so did Case – she could hear Steve call out her name, but she was too focused. She _knew_ that arm…she _knew_ that shooter…

He disappeared quickly, but his scent didn't. She tracked him a few blocks, sniffing the air so hard her head started hurting…finally she realized he'd been backtracking, taking her in circles to throw her off.

She finally threw herself down on a nearby curb, burying her hands in her hair.

She'd lost him…she was good, but he was better…

 _What the hell is going on here?_ The smell…that arm, all of it was familiar – clearly, she'd seen him before, right?

Her cell phone beeped, and she pulled the device out of her pocket, seeing the name of the hospital they took Fury to in a text message.

Look, he smelled familiar because of the Smithsonian, that had to be it. Bucky was on her mind a lot especially after being able to see his face, so clearly her subconscious was trying to fill in the blanks.

 _Yeah, that's gotta be it,_ Case told herself as she got to her feet.

" _James Barnes died during World War Two…that's all that matters."_

Case froze mid-step, swallowing roughly. She looked around, even raising her fists. That voice was distinctly male, but she was currently alone on the street…

"C'mon Howlett, pull yourself together!" Case snapped, pinching at the bridge of her nose. "Go crazy on someone else's time…"


	31. Chapter 31

**Welcome to Chapter Thirty-One. There is a moment later in this chapter, I really have no clue if it's possible based on the laws of both Biology and Physics, but since we're dealing with super soldiers and mutants, we'll pretend it will even if it doesn't – you'll know it when you see it.**

 **Any constructive criticism is always appreciated, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **April 2014**

Natasha burst through the door where Steve, Case, and Maria Hill watched the doctors perform emergency surgery on Fury in the adjoining room.

"Is he gonna make it?" She asked.

"I don't know," Steve admitted.

"Tell me about the shooter."

"He's fast, strong…had a metal arm," Steve said as he looked down at his hands braced against the windowsill.

" _And just how does Hydra acquire a weapon like him?"_ Case pinched at the bridge of her nose, trying to shake the thoughts away. Now wasn't the time for flashes and hallucinations.

Natasha still stared through the window, and asked, "Ballistics?"

Maria stepped up next to them, "Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable."

"Soviet-made."

Maria looked at her, and in a surprised tone she said, "Yeah."

Case stayed back against the wall, out of the way with Sitwell and Rumlow. She was still upset she lost him, that she got fooled so easily. Her nose _never_ failed her…so how did she not notice she was going in circles with the trail?

More to the point…did he _know_ she could track by scent or did he do that in general? Who was this guy?

" _He's in V-tach,"_ a voice said from the other room, cutting Case out of her thoughts.

" _Crash cart coming in."_

" _Nurse, help me with the drape."_

" _BP's dropping."_

" _Defibrillator!"_

They watched the organized chaos as the nurse grabbed the crash cart and prepped Fury.

" _I want you to charge him at one hundred."_

"Don't do this to me, Nick," Natasha whispered.

Voices started to echo inside Case's mind, one she knew was her own, the other sounded familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it…

" _Are you…_ begging _?"_

" _Please…please don't take him away again!"_

Case didn't realize she was cringing behind her fist until someone touched her shoulder. She looked over at Rumlow, who looked at her with concern in his eyes.

" _Clear!"_ They shocked Fury once. _"Pulse?"_

" _No pulse."_

" _Okay, two hundred please. Stand back!"_ the doctor got ready again, _"Three, two, one. Clear! Get me epinephrine! Pulse?"_

" _Negative."_

"Don't do this to me Nick," Natasha kept whispering, "Don't do this to me."

They started removing things from Fury, and the doctor just looked down at the man on the bed.

Steve turned and walked through the nearby door.

" _What's the time?"_

" _One-oh-three, doctor."_

" _Time of death, one-oh-three AM."_

* * *

"Why was Fury in your apartment?" Natasha demanded.

They were in the hospital hallway, they'd had a final moment with Fury before Maria said she had to take his body. Natasha had stormed out without a word until Steve and Case went after her.

Steve stopped in his tracks, and tried to shrug it off, "I don't know."

"Cap," Rumlow said, walking up to them. "They want you and Agent Howlett back at SHIELD."

"Yeah, just give us a second," Steve told him before going back to Natasha.

"They want you now."

Steve turned back to him, and in a testy voice said, "Okay."

Natasha smirked at him when he turned back to her, "You're a terrible liar." Then she turned on her heel and walked away.

Steve sighed, shaking his head. He started looking around the hallway, eyeing the open vending machine beside him.

"She's got you there, Stevie," Case pointed out.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ bad!" Steve frowned at her.

"Oh right, like the time you tried to hide the fact Joey Rabini beat you up when we were eight?"

"He didn't beat me up!"

"Steve, he cracked two of your ribs," Case told him. "You were walking hunched to your left side trying to tell us you were fine."

They could hear Sitwell's voice, _"STRIKE team, escort Captain Rogers and Agent Howlett back to SHIELD immediately for questioning."_

"I told them," Rumlow said into his earpiece.

Steve then reached into his pocket, still eyeing the open vending machine next to them. When he knew nobody from STRIKE was watching he stashed Fury's flash drive in the machine behind a few packs of bubble gum.

They both walked toward Rumlow, with Steve saying, "Let's go."

"STRIKE move it out," Rumlow ordered.

* * *

When they reached SHIELD headquarters, Steve took a moment to put on his uniform and strap his shield to his back, while Case, who still hadn't been approved for field work, opted to remain in civilian clothes.

They were headed toward Pierce's office, when they saw Steve's neighbor standing talking to a man in a gray suit.

She thanked him and turned toward them, saying as they passed, "Agent Howlett, Captain Rogers…"

"Neighbor," Steve growled out.

Case's brows rose but she said nothing as they reached the doorway.

"Oh, Captain, I'm Alexander Pierce," The man said, holding out his hand. He had light brown hair and round, dark framed glasses.

"Sir, it's an honor," Steve said, shaking the offered hand.

"The honor's mine, Captain, my father served in the Hundred and First, come on in," Pierce said, heading into his office.

"Uh, sir…have you met Agent Howlett?" Steve asked.

"Oh, right, sorry," Pierce said, finally acknowledging the woman. "Sorry about that, nice to meet you, _officially_ , Agent Howlett."

"Likewise," Case gave him a small smile. She frowned thoughtfully, "Though…have we met before? You seem awfully familiar to me…"

"It _is_ a large building, perhaps we've met in passing," Pierce said thoughtfully. "But I thought, given the circumstances, you might feel comfortable answering some questions for Doctor Snow."

"Doctor Snow…" Case repeated.

"Yes, I heard you were rather shaken up regarding Nick Fury's passing and thought maybe you'd feel more comfortable talking with her, I hope you don't mind," Pierce said in a reasonable tone.

Case forced a smile onto her face and said, "Alright sir…Steve, I'll see you in a bit."

"Case—"

"I'll be fine, Steve," Case told him, and turned on her heel and headed down the familiar hallways toward the doctor's office.

The door was already open when Case reached the familiar glass walls, and Case poked her head in, "Doctor Snow?"

The blonde was seated at her desk across the room, and looked up from the documents she was signing, "Agent Howlett, Pierce said you'd be stopping by today."

"Apparently rumors are floating around I had a nervous breakdown over Fury's demise," Case said, walking further into the room and folding her arms.

"Close the door please."

Case shut the door as asked, but didn't take a seat, "Look…I admit I was having a rough time…I was worried about some other things and it coincided with everything that happened with Fury."

"My condolences," Doctor Snow told her, "I'm sorry to hear of his passing. He was a good man."

Case hugged her arms tighter around herself, "Yeah, he was."

"Onto the task at hand, though, what were you worried about?" Doctor Snow then asked.

"I…" Case loosened her arms to rub at the back of her neck, her fingers touching the mark that had been left behind a year ago. "I uh…well, I was feeling kinda paranoid I guess…I was looking to stay at Steve's place. I was afraid to go back to mine."

"Really? Why?"

"I...I was afraid that someone would be waiting for me," Case admitted. "Like when I was taken…"

"Are you remembering anything? Did something come back?" Doctor Snow asked eagerly.

"I…" Case chewed on her lip. Fury's last words about not trusting anyone came to mind suddenly, and she said, "I…I think…"

She looked back up at the blonde, and suddenly Snow's office was gone.

 _She was in a dimly lit room with a concrete floor and rows of bars running across, making the room like a jail cell._

 _The blonde woman – Doctor Snow, dressed in an identical outfit to hers, the black shirt and tactical cargo pants with black combat boots – smirked, dropping a blood-covered knife, "Too easy."_

 _Case was dripping blood from her throat, she could feel the wound sealing itself as she walked over and picked up the knife._

 _The blonde had been walking away, turning back toward her when Case stomped her foot to get her attention._

 _Case twirled the bloody knife in her fingers,_ _"You didn't think it would be that easy to kill me, did you?"_

Case blinked and gave a gasp of air.

"Agent Howlett? Are you alright?"

Case looked at the blonde from her memory flash, and took a step back, "Sorry…I think…duty calls!" She reached for the door just in time to hear the locks click.

"Just you and me, _Siren_ ," the blonde spat as she got to her feet. "No _Soldat_ or Silverfox to save you now."

"Right…well…then I'll just have to save myself," Case said as she backed toward the opposite wall. She ran forward and threw herself through the glass, somersaulting to her feet and racing for the elevator down the hall.

She smashed her hand over the controls to at least try to open the door the normal way. She'd cut through if she had to…but if she didn't – suddenly a knife hit the wall next to her with a loud _thud._ Case looked at the knife, then turned around to the blonde Hydra soldier, who stood in the opening Case had burst through, arm still in position from the throw, looking shocked she'd missed so spectacularly.

It was all too much – Case started laughing. She had to put her hands on her knees to catch her breath, her stomach was starting to hurt. "That…oh that's just beautiful…you're the best of the best? I think not!"

The blonde soldier simply growled from down the hall.

Case stood straighter, wiping tear from her eye, "Ballsy move for someone that knows my spine is fused with adamantium!"

"Stick a blade through your vertebrae and you're rendered obsolete!"

"Well that's a bit rude," Case said as the elevator dinged. "Toodles!"

With a cheery wave Case walked through the doors…realizing at the last minute there was no elevator waiting, and she'd just dropped into an empty shaft.

* * *

"Hold up," Sam said, holding a hand in the air. "Your last therapist was a Hydra soldier?"

Case nodded, "Yep."

"Who tried to kill you?"

"Twice…both times very inefficiently," Case told him. "She tried cutting my throat…I picked up the knife and threw it at her."

"Why?"

"She tried to kill me!"

"I mean why did she try to kill you?"

"That I couldn't tell you," Case admitted. "I don't know if Pierce wanted me trained like Bucky or if I was just there as cannon fodder. Clearly didn't get the memo that I'm pretty indestructible…up until that point I thought I _was_ indestructible."

"And is that what she meant about rendering you obsolete?"

Case gave a nod as she rubbed at the spot, "It's how I almost died…I got stabbed in the back, between my shoulders," She turned her back to Sam, and tugged at the back of her shirt.

Sam could see a pink jagged mark over Case's spine, right in the middle where her neck met her shoulders. "It left a mark…I didn't think anything could do that."

"Yeah…I don't know what causes it," Case admitted. "When I stabbed Ryder when we were kids it left scars too…but I didn't injure his spine."

"What happened?"

"They told me the blade slid right between the vertebrae, completely severing my spinal cord," Case began. "I…I remember getting stabbed, then losing all feeling in my body. Things got blurry after that…I remember being stabbed again, seeing blood everywhere…getting beaten repeatedly." She shuddered, "Then I woke up with a tube down my throat…said I was in pretty bad shape, they didn't think…"

When Case trailed off, Sam said, "I'm…shows how good your healing is I guess…"

"Yeah…I should have died…if I didn't heal like my father I would have, or at least that's that I was told," Case said pinching at her eyes. "Then I got ripped a new one out for the belief I was indestructible."

"I'll bet," Sam admitted.

"Good thing they don't know about the elevator incident…"

* * *

With a loud clank Case landed on the stopped elevator several floors below. With a grunt she eased her right arm from underneath her, grimacing as she tried to move.

"That…wasn't one of my finer moments," Case admitted, her face still smashed into the metal compartment. Not wasting any time to see if her 'doctor' was following, forced herself up into a kneeling position and extended her claws to cut into the metal, dropping to the floor of the elevator.

Instantly she was smashed into the elevator wall with a close-up view of red white and blue.

"Jesus Christ Steven it's _me_!" Case snapped at him, her voice muffled from where it met the metallic wall.

"Shit, sorry!" Steve breathed, pulling the shield away. "Are you alright?"

Case scowled at him as she rubbed a hand over her cheek, "My pride's a little hurt…otherwise I'm fine."

Steve had his shield up and was surveying the pile of bodies lying around him.

Case's eyebrows rose, "You too, huh?"

"What happened to you?" Steve asked.

"Hydra therapist," Case said simply. "Well…sorta…long story."

Steve looked at the pile again, "Same…" He had a metal band around his wrist, that he slammed his shield against to knock it loose.

"No, this one looks pretty self-explanatory," Case told him as he reached for the door control. She took in the cracked glass around them, and took a shaky breath, "Uh, Steve…?"

"I'm alright Case, don't worry," Steve said as he pressed the red flashing icon on the wall.

The door opened and they were met with a crowd of armed STRIKE members.

"Drop your shield and put your hands in the air!" one ordered.

"Hold on and cover your ears!" Steve barked and swung around, using his shield to slice through the cables of the elevator car.

Case dropped to her knees, looping an arm around the railing while grabbing hold of her ears, cringing and pressing over them tighter as the elevator car screeched to a stop several floors below.

When it stopped Steve yanked the doors open and Case got to her feet.

The footsteps of more STRIKE team members thundered down the hall, guns up and ready.

Steve shoved the doors closed again, as Case asked, "What now?"

One of the STRIKE agents yelled through the doors, _"Give it up, Rogers! Get that door open!"_

Steve looked out the window then back at Case, "Ready to test the adamantium?"

"Huh?"

" _You have nowhere to go!"_

Steve grabbed hold of her and threw both out of the glass window, Case sandwiched between Steve and the shield.

All Case knew was rushing air and shattering glass and pain as they collided with a glass ceiling and finally the concrete on the ground.

Steve groaned in pain and gasped for breath as he tried to adjust.

"Can you still move?" Case asked in a muffled voice.

"Yeah…can you?"

"Not yet," Case said into Steve's shield.

"Sorry…hang on," Steve forced himself to his feet. He yanked Case to her feet, half dragging her toward the parking garage.

* * *

"Steven Grant Rogers you now have five seconds to tell me why you thought sandwiching my sister between you and your shield was a good idea."

Both Sam and Case jumped and looked toward her kitchen.

Steve and Ryder were standing side by side at the island, each nursing a beer, leaning casually against the counter.

"No, please, don't stop on our accounts," Steve told them.

"How long have you been there?" Case asked with a frown.

"Since you jumped into the elevator shaft and crashed onto the elevator," Ryder said, taking a sip out of his bottle. "And I'm waiting for that explanation, Steve."

"I thought she'd be safer that way…and I needed to get her out somehow," Steve frowned.

"And what happened to Doctor Snow after all this shit was said and done?"

"I don't know," Case admitted. "I hope she's on ice in Siberia where she fuckin' belongs."

"And where were _you_ during all this?" Sam suddenly asked. "The way you made it sound you were all there when this went down, yet I haven't heard anything about you being there."

"Can't a guy go on vacation?" Ryder asked. "I was spending the week with my Dad upstate, helping him teach those young whippersnappers a thing or two when it comes to combat."

"He was upgrading his bike and didn't want Tony's help," Case added.

"That too," Ryder admitted. "It's a bonding thing, motorcycles…my Dad was tellin' me how he pulled some beauties off the line back in the seventies."

"How are things between the three of you?" Sam asked.

"Really uncomfortable," Case admitted.

"An improvement on the open hostility from last year," Ryder added.

"Now we leave voicemails tellin' him to fuck off instead of just sending a text message," Case said, getting to her feet.

"Jeez guys, he's still your father," Steve frowned at them.

"Hence why it's just uncomfortable, not hostility," Case said, having crossed the room to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, "Want one Sam?"

"Sure," Sam nodded.

Case grabbed a second bottle and headed back to the sofa, "Although—"

"They didn't know about Bucky," Ryder said, cutting off the question. "Just about _her_ …pretty sure Uncle Victor wanted to kick my ass for the insinuation, but he confirmed that neither of them knew."

Case frowned, "When did you talk to Uncle Victor?"

"Had him run a few errands for me," Ryder shrugged. "Nothin' major, just had a few questions…and I _needed_ that one answered."

"Yeah…don't blame you," Case admitted in a quiet voice as she took a sip out of her bottle.

An awkward silence filled the room, each one disappearing into their own thoughts for a few moments.

Finally, Sam spoke up, "So how _did_ you come into the story?"


	32. Chapter 32

**April 2014**

"Bullshit!" Case whispered as they stared into the vending machine.

Steve was in a navy-blue sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his face. Case's hair was covered in a black baseball cap, eyes hidden behind aviator-style sunglasses, and she glared at the empty space where Steve had placed the flash drive.

"Who the hell likes Hubba Bubba that much?" Case added with a scowl.

Suddenly Natasha's face came into the glass, blowing and popping a pink bubble.

Steve turned around and stared at her for a moment, before he grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her into an empty room, shoving her against the wall as he demanded, "Where is it?"

"Safe," Natasha answered with a glare.

The door shut quickly behind them, and Ryder's angry voice suddenly demanded, "Jesus Christ, Steven what the hell is going on?"

Steve jumped, and kept Natasha pinned against the wall as he glanced back at Ryder, "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Found that one waiting for me at my place," Ryder said, motioning to Natasha with his chin. "What the hell is going on around here? I go on vacation for a week and come home to find everything shot to hell!"

"Later," Steve growled out, then turned back to Natasha, "Again, where is it?"

"I told you it's safe!"

"Do better!"

"Where did you get it?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Where the hell is what?" Ryder whispered, leaning against a nearby table with Case. He just received a 'shh' as a response.

"Fury gave it to you. Why?" Natasha demanded.

"What's on it?"

"I don't know!"

"Stop lying!"

"I only _act_ like I know everything Rogers!"

"I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?"

"Well it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you."

Steve grabbed hold of her arms and shoved her against the wall, "I'm not gonna ask you again!"

Natasha stared at him for a moment, then said, "I know who killed Fury…most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do call him the 'Winter Soldier'."

"Then shouldn't he be in a colder climate?" Ryder grumbled, folding his arms, to which Case snickered.

Natasha cast a disbelieving look his way, then scowled when she saw both Howlett twins were smirking at her. With annoyance in her voice she turned her gaze back to Steve, adding, "He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years."

"So, he's a ghost story," Steve said.

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot at my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out, but he Winter Soldier was there…I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight _through_ me." She then pulled up her shirt to show off the scar on her stomach, "A soviet slug, no rifling, bye-bye bikinis."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now."

"Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried," Natasha pulled the flash drive out of her pocket, "Like you said, he's a ghost story,"

"Well then let's find out what the ghost wants."

* * *

"First rule of going on the run is don't run, walk," Natasha said quietly.

"I would've thought the first rule was don't run to a crowded mall," Ryder mumbled in response.

"And if I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off," Steve added, having replaced his hoodie with a black baseball cap, green jacket, and a pair of glasses.

Case was still wearing her sunglasses, the twins following closely behind Steve and Natasha as they headed for a nearby Apple Store.

The twins hovered toward the end of the table, eyeing a few of the Macbooks, keeping within earshot of the other two as Natasha went to work with the flash drive.

"The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are," Natasha said.

"Lovely…" Case whispered.

Steve looked over at them before casting a look around the room, "How much time do we have?"

"About nine minutes from…" Natasha plugged in the drive, "Now."

As the two got to work, Ryder shook his head and rolled his eyes, "You and Steve, man."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Case hissed at him.

"Trouble magnets…if it wasn't you it was Steve, and if it wasn't Steve it was you. Both of you running around like you're indestructible, like nothing could kill you."

" _Of course, they could kill you! I thought Steve was bad, his punk ass parachuted behind enemy lines to rescue…why the hell are you smirking like that?"_

"Nostalgia," Case said quietly.

"What?" Ryder asked.

"Bucky was just yelling at me, asking me why I was smirking," Case frowned, "And I said…nostalgia. Like when you two were reaming us out because we rescued you guys from Azzano."

Ryder looked around the room, "Case…Bucky's not here."

"No, no, he was just…" Case looked to her right, expecting to see him leaning up against the far wall, arms folded across his chest with a scowl on his face. But…all she saw were other customers and more rows of Macbooks. Her hands started shaking, "No…no…Bucky asked me that. It was Bucky I heard, I know it!"

"Okay…" Ryder frowned, looking at her with concern in his eyes. "Um…look, we'll figure this out later, alright?"

"Don't look at me like that," Case growled, taking a step back from him.

"Case—"

"I'm not crazy, Ryder," Case said, her breathing getting quicker. "I'm not!"

"Case, pull yourself together!" Ryder hissed, yanking her closer to him by her shoulders. "I don't know what's going on here…less so why we're here with… _that._ "

"Fury was right about that ship, somebody's trying to hide something," Natasha said from down the table. "This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands."

"Can you override it?" Steve asked.

"The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me," Natasha's fingers flew over the keys, " _Slightly_."

Case took a deep breath, "Right…of course."

"I don't know what's going on…and we'll figure this out after. But for now, I need you to keep yourself in check, can you do that for me?"

"God…I'm seeing things, hearing things," Case shook her head as she took a deep breath, and looked up at him, "What's happening to me?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Ryder assured her."Stress, lack of sleep…when this is over, we'll _both_ go up and see Dad, huh? Maybe go on a road trip? Just the three of us?"

Case gave a weak nod, "Sure…sounds nice."

"I'm gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware so if we can't read the file maybe we can find out where it came from," Natasha continued as she worked with the files.

"Can I help you guys with anything?" one of the employees with a light blue t-shirt with the Apple logo on it came over to them. He was sporting long blonde hair and a thick beard on his face.

"Oh, no. My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations," Natasha said in an overly perky voice as she put her arms around Steve's shoulders.

"Right, we're getting married," Steve supplied awkwardly, causing both Howlett twins to give a snort.

"Congratulations, where were you guys thinkin' about going?"

Steve hesitated, then looked at the screen as he answered, "New Jersey."

"Oh," The man said awkwardly. He stared at Steve for a moment, then he said, "I have those _exact_ same glasses."

"Wow you two are practically twins," Natasha deadpanned, eyes on the screen.

"Yeah, I wish," The guy said. He held up his hands and studied Steve, "Specimen. If you guys need anything, I've been Aaron." He held up his nametag.

"Thank you," Steve said as the guy turned away.

"What's 'specimen'?" Ryder asked.

"Not a clue…guess it's because Steve's, well, Steve," Case answered.

"Ah, so it's a six-foot-two muscled beefcake?"

"I guess so."

"I can _hear_ you!" Steve hissed at them, his cheeks pink from embarrassment. He checked his watch, and he turned to Natasha, "And you said nine minutes, come on."

"Shh, relax," Natasha said in a soothing voice. "Got it." Steve stared at the screen, leaning in to take a closer look. "You know it?"

"I used to," Steve told her, and he yanked out the flash drive as he said, "Let's go."

As they left the store, Ryder and Case sandwiched Natasha and Steve between them.

Steve quietly said, "Standard tac team. Two behind, two across, and two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro."

"You're also crazy if you think you're engaging alone," Ryder told him.

"Shut up and put your arm around Case," Natasha said to Steve, wrapping her arm around Ryder from behind. "Both of you laugh at something we said."

"What?" Steve asked in confusion.

"Do it," Natasha ordered.

Ryder's laugh was genuine after hearing Steve's dorky fake laugh, which caused the super soldier to scowl at his friend and take a swipe at the back of his head.

They made their way toward the escalator and were heading downward when they caught sight of Rumlow.

Natasha turned toward Steve and said, "Kiss me."

"What?" Steve asked again.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable."

"Yes, they do," Steve agreed.

Case and Ryder exchanged glances as Ryder asked, "Uh, is this an 'everyone kiss' thing? Because I'm not kissing my twin…"

"Right…they'll kiss each other," Natasha pointed to Steve and Case. "You'll kiss me."

"Huh?"

"Now!" Natasha said and pulled Ryder close. She waved a hand at Steve and Case; with her other hand threaded her fingers into Ryder's hair.

"Eh might as well," Case admitted and grabbed hold of Steve's shirt, pulling him down to her level and pressing her lips to his.

When Natasha broke away from Ryder, Case broke from Steve.

Case wiped at her mouth, "I can see why Peggy was jealous of Private Lorraine…not bad. I'd recommend you to a friend."

"Thanks Case…"

"I mean it, Peggy was a lucky girl," Case added, before she turned to her twin, "You okay over there bub?"

"I'm fine," Ryder's voice cracked a little as he straightened his shirt.

* * *

"Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?"

They were just entering New Jersey, riding in their 'borrowed' Chevrolet Silverado, with Steve behind the wheel, Natasha in the front passenger seat, and Case and Ryder in the backseat.

"Nazi Germany," Steve said, "And we're _borrowing_ , take your feet off the dash."

Natasha gave him a small smirk as she removed her feet from where they were propped up on the dashboard, "Alright, I have a question for you, _all_ of you actually. Which you do not have to answer, but I feel like if you don't answer it though you're kind of answering it, you know?"

"What?" Steve asked, irritation coloring his voice.

Natasha turned in her seat so she could see the Howletts as well, and asked Ryder, "Was that your first kiss since nineteen forty-five?"

"That bad huh?" Ryder asked with a frown.

"I didn't say that."

"Well it kinda sounds like that's what you're saying," Steve told her, instantly coming to his friend's defense.

"No, I didn't I just wondered how much practice he had…and I was kinda curious about the rest of you," Natasha explained.

"You don't need practice!"

"Everyone needs practice!"

"It was not my first kiss since nineteen forty-five," Steve snapped at her. "I'm ninety-five, I'm not dead."

Natasha looked at the Howletts, expectant look on her face.

"I kissed a few of my dates before my vow of celibacy," Case rolled her eyes.

"Is that what we're calling it?" Steve mumbled, grunting as he felt Case kick at the back of his seat.

"And you, Ryder?" Natasha asked.

Ryder's eyes were glaring out the window as his face turned red. He clenched his jaw and folded his arms tightly across his chest.

Case finally caught on, and gave a gasp, "No…"

Steve sat straighter in his seat, "Really?"

"Ryder Howlett hasn't kissed a woman since nineteen forty-five?" Case asked.

"Longer than that considering the last time I kissed a woman was Viola," Ryder admitted.

"Wow…" Case breathed.

"Nobody special for any of you?" Natasha asked.

"Believe it or not, it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience," Steve said honestly.

"Well that's alright, you just make something up."

"What, like you?"

"I don't know, the truth is a matter of circumstance," Natasha told him. "It's not all things to all people, all the time. Neither am I."

"That's a tough way to live," Steve pointed out.

"It's a good way not to die though."

"You know, it's kinda hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is," Ryder pointed out.

"Yeah," Natasha admitted, then turned toward him, "Who do you want me to be?"

Ryder studied her for a moment, then said, "How 'bout a friend?"

Natasha gave a chuckle, "Well there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Howlett."

* * *

They pulled up to the old army base in Wheaton, New Jersey, Steve announcing, "This is it."

Natasha put her phone in her pocket, "The file came from these coordinates."

Steve looked at the sign posted out front, "So did I."

 _CAMP LEHIGH_

 _U.S. ARMY RESTRICTED AREA_

The four of them made their way inside, Steve taking in the sight of the buildings as he said, "This camp is where I was trained."

"Change much?" Natasha asked as she held her phone in the air.

Steve came to a stop and stared up at a flagpole. It was empty, but Steve gave a small smile at whatever memory came back to him. "A little," he admitted.

"You doing alright?" Ryder suddenly asked Case.

Case shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, the small smile gone from his face as he turned his focus to them.

"I'm fine," Case told him.

"No," Ryder said pointedly. "Case has been having some…issues…"

"I'm fine," Case said firmly. "Look, it was a few flashes…I mean, I think seeing the Asset is just screwing with my head, and—"

"The Asset?" Steve asked.

"The Winter Soldier, the one who shot Fury," Case rubbed at her forehead, "They call him the Asset."

"How do you know that?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Case frowned. "It just…it just came out. Like it's just… _there._ "

Steve and Ryder exchanged worried looks as Natasha called out, "This is a dead end. Zero heat signatures, zero waves, not even radio." She shoved her phone back in her pocket, "Whoever wrote the file must've used a router to throw people off."

Steve looked at her, then his eye caught a building in the distance, "Ryder…are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Ryder followed his gaze, giving a thoughtful frown as he said, "Yeah, I am."

"What is it?" Natasha asked.

They headed for the building in question, Steve answered, "Army regulations forbid storing munitions within five hundred yards of the barracks."

"This building's in the wrong place," Ryder added.

Steve smashed the padlock with his shield, and the four of them went through the door, heading down the dark steps.

Steve flipped a nearby light switch at the bottom of the stairs, and the lights slowly flickered on.

The room was filled with rows of desks and a few file cabinets, SHIELD's logo was plastered on the wall in the middle between the rows.

"This is SHIELD," Natasha said as they walked farther into the room.

"Maybe where it started," Steve added.

They walked deeper into the room, going through a door that led into a room lined with shelves.

Directly across from the door, the wall held three framed portraits, one of Colonel Phillips, one of Howard Stark, and one of Peggy Carter.

"And there's Stark's father," Natasha pointed out.

"Howard," Steve told her.

"Who's the girl?"

Steve stared at it for a few moments then walked away. He came to a stop near one of the empty shelves, and the Howletts could hear the wind whistling from behind it.

Steve glanced back at them as he said, "If you're already working in a secret office…" He reached up and pulled, the shelf moving to the side, "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

Natasha walked closer and held her phone over the keypad, a light running over the buttons and highlighting ones that had been pressed. She punched in the code and the doors opened.

The four piled in and the elevator took them deeper underground.

When the doors opened, they walked into the room, lights slowly clicking on, revealing extremely old equipment, looking like early stage computer storage.

A platform stood in the center with a giant screen, blinking keys and buttons spreading across the surface, with a lone chair set in front of the station.

Two monitors were perched on each side of the station, with four additional monitors, two on the right and two on the left in between the larger monitors.

"This can't be the data point, this technology is ancient," Natasha said, taking in the sight.

"So's Ryder but we still keep him around," Case smirked.

"Not now Cassidy," Steve told her.

"Not to mention those flash drive ports that are currently plugged in over there," Ryder added with a roll of his eyes, "Bitch."

"Jerk," Case shot back.

"Midget."

"Tree!"

"Children!" Steve cut in firmly as Natasha plugged in the flash drive.

Suddenly the room around them came to life. The reels around the room started to spin, lights flared up everywhere, and the box-shaped camera on the platform focused its lens on them.

" _Initiate system?"_ an electronic voice asked.

"Y-e-s spells yes," Natasha said, typing the letters into the keyboard. Then she gave a smirk as the machines powered up with a loud whirring noise, and her voice deepened as she said, "Shall we play a game?" When she didn't get a response, she turned to explain, "It's from a move that was really—"

"We know, we saw it," Steve told her.

The screen flickered to life, the image on the screen glowed in green as it said, _"Rogers, Steven. Howlett, Ryder, and Howlett, Cassidy, born nineteen eighteen."_ The camera scrolled across them, focusing on Natasha, _"Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna born nineteen eighty-four."_

"It's some kind of recording…" Natasha frowned.

" _I am not a recording, Fraeulein,"_ the computer corrected her. _"I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in nineteen forty-five. But I am—"_ On one of the screens a familiar face appeared.

" _Him_ ," Case growled out, hands curling into fists.

"You know this thing?" Natasha asked.

Steve circled around the platform, "Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked with the Red Skull. He's been dead for years."

"Good riddance," Case muttered.

" _First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you; I have never been more alive!"_

Ryder cocked his eyebrow at the computer banks around them, then leaned to Case and said, "He doesn't know much about being alive, does he?"

"I'm just sorry I didn't get the chance to cut his goddamn head off," Case snarled in response.

" _In nineteen-seventy-two I received a terminal diagnosis,"_ Zola continued as if Ryder had never spoken. _"Science could not save my body. My mind, however, that was worth saving…on two hundred thousand feet of data banks! You are standing in my brain!"_

"Always was a twisted son of a bitch," Ryder pointed out.

"How did you get here?"

" _Invited,"_ Zola replied.

Natasha thought for a moment, then said, "It was Operation Paperclip, after World War Two SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value."

" _They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own."_

"Hydra died with the Red Skull."

" _Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."_

"Prove it."

" _Accessing archive,"_ Zola said as images began to appear on the screen. _"Hydra was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist."_

His screens flashed through different images, hundreds of men raising their arms in a 'Hail Hydra' gesture, soldiers storming the beach, Steve in full Captain America gear running around on the battlefield.

" _The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded, and I was recruited."_

A picture of Peggy and Howard in the office space flashed, along with Zola's recruitment information, and a newspaper headline _German Scientists Recruited By US._

" _The new Hydra grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years, Hydra has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war, and when history did not cooperate, history was changed."_

Multiple of videos and images flashed across the screen, now stopping on a metal armed shadow wielding a sniper rifle.

"No…" it suddenly hit Case like a ton of bricks. Her stomach churned, and she pressed a hand over her mouth. "That's not…it can't be…"

"That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you!" Natasha protested, her voice sounding shaken and her eyes wide.

" _Accidents will happen,"_ Zola stated.

There was a new headline, _Howard and Maria Stark Die in Car Accident._

The image of Nick Fury with DECEASED stamped across it.

" _Hydra created a world so chaotic, that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once a purification process is complete, Hydra's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life…a zero sum."_

Steve gave a yell and threw a punch into the screen, shattering it and making Zola's face disappear.

Zola's face appeared, on one of the smaller monitors next, _"As I was saying…"_

"What's on this drive?" Steve demanded.

" _Project Insight requires…insight. So, I wrote an algorithm."_

"What kind of algorithm, what does it do?" Natasha demanded.

" _The answer to your question is fascinating, unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."_

As the doors started closing across the room, Steve threw his shield, but it rebounded off the doors as they shut tight.

Natasha held up her phone, "Guys, we've got a bogey. Short range ballistic. Thirty seconds tops."

"Who fired it?"

"SHIELD…"

" _I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain,"_ Zola said, as Natasha grabbed for the drive. _"Admit it, it's better this way."_

Steve bolted for the grating in the floor, yanking it up and motioning for Natasha. As she raced toward Steve, Ryder yanked up another grate, and looked to Case.

Case seemed to have gone into a trance, claws extended but her eyes still focused on the shattered screen. Her lips were moving, Ryder could barely make out the words, "That son of a bitch…it was them together…they did it! All that time…!"

"Cassidy, come on!"

" _We are both of us…out of time."_

Natasha slid in first, Steve dropped in after. Ryder grabbed hold of Case by her shirt and shoved her into the hole in the floor, yanking the grate over them and shielding her the best he could as the room around them crumbled as the missile hit.

* * *

 **And so, ends Chapter Thirty-Two. Case is remembering bits and pieces slowly regaining everything that she "forgot", and I realized a small boo-boo I've made with continuity, which I'm trying to fix in the next chapter, which is already in progress.**

 **I'll see you in Chapter Thirty-Three.**


	33. Chapter 33

**April 2014**

"Case…"

Case sat on the bed, knees tucked to her chest, staring at the wall.

After they'd escaped the wreckage of the army camp, they'd hightailed it to Sam Wilson's place. He'd invited them in to get cleaned up and regroup, and had already called them for breakfast, but Steve had wanted to speak with Case first…she hadn't said a word, instead she had simply gone into one of Sam's extra rooms and curled into a ball on the bed, not moving or acknowledging anything or anyone.

"Cassidy…come on, talk to me."

Case closed her eyes, she felt tears leak through her eyelids, and buried her face in her knees.

A warm hand clasped her shoulder, and Case gave a jump and a gasp. Steve squeezed gently as he took a seat behind her and said, "Come on, Cassidy, you're starting to scare me here."

"What's there to say, Steve?" Case whispered as she turned to meet his gaze.

"You tell me."

Case chewed on her lip, then said, "I remembered it was Hydra pretty quickly after I came back…about the time the memories from the fusion itself came back. I told Doctor Snow…she told me not to say anything, like maybe I was wrong about it being Hydra…but she always treated it like it was fact when we met."

Steve scooted forward on the bed, so he was sitting next to her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. That was when he noticed the little things he hadn't before – he noticed the dark circles growing under her eyes, her whole body trembled under his hand, and he kicked himself for not noticing sooner. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Like what?" Case asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"Case…you look like you're going to fall apart," Steve frowned. "And I know it's not just because of the Winter Soldier. You haven't been good for a while."

Case looked away from him again, and if anything hugged her knees even tighter to her chest. "I…I can't sleep. Ever since Hydra nabbed me I haven't…" She took a deep breath, "Sometimes I sleep…sometimes I can get rest…others are filled with nightmares or I just can't get to sleep at all…"

"How long?" Steve asked.

Case sighed, "If I had to pinpoint it…after the impromptu rescue mission from Azzano. Bucky was there to help with that though." She rubbed at her eyes, "After we went into the ice…couldn't sleep for a while either, which you know all too well."

Steve gave a nod; none of them had been able to sleep normally after that.

"After the fusion…I've been having trouble sleeping again," Case continued. "Half the time when I wake up, I'm afraid I'm gonna be inside that glass tank with needles over my head."

Steve gave a sigh of his own, "Have you talked to Ryder about this at least?"

"I don't know how…" Case admitted. "Ryder's…Ryder's been really happy lately. Like he's planning something amazing almost…only time I've seen him like that is if he's got a girlfriend out there somewhere."

"But Ryder just said he hasn't kissed anyone since nineteen forty-five," Steve frowned.

"I'm sure a girl isn't the _only_ reason for Ryder to be happy," Case amended. "He's just been in such a good mood lately…I'd hate to ruin it with my petty problems."

Steve watched as Case lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, her teeth clicking on her thumbnail, before she gave a scowl and yanked her hand away. "There's more, isn't there?"

Case sighed, "I think I've seen this guy before…I don't know, there's something I can't put my finger on…like maybe we crossed paths or something when I was with Hydra? I just can't remember…"

"But you remembered he was the Asset," Steve pointed out.

"I'm starting to remember a lot of things…but I don't know if they're real, or if my mind is just filling in the gaps," Case said. "I…I think I know him, but I really don't have a clear picture of him…it's just fragments and shadows. A flash here, a voice there. I can't control when they come, and I can't…" She sighed, "I don't know what's real anymore."

A knock on the doorframe caused both to jump, and they looked up to see Ryder, "Sorry…Sam says the food's getting cold."

"You hungry?" Steve asked Case.

"I could eat," Case shrugged.

Ryder gave them both a weak smile and disappeared.

"Anything else you wanna get off your chest before we go downstairs?" Steve asked.

Case looked at him for a moment, then said, "Thanks."

Steve frowned, "For what?"

"I dunno," Case admitted. "Thanks…for being my friend. For letting me come along for the ride."

Steve pulled her into a full hug, "Not something you should be thanking me for, after all that's happened. But we'll always be friends, that's never going to change."

Case buried her face in his neck, "No matter what happens?"

Steve frowned and squeezed her tighter, rubbing a hand up and down her back, "No matter what happens, Case. You and Ryder are stuck with me, for life."

Case broke away with a sniffle, wiping a few tears away from her cheeks as she gave him a weak smile.

"And if you're ever ready to talk about…what you're seeing," Steve added. "I'll be here to listen."

"Thanks," She whispered as she got to her feet. "Now come on, buddy…I might not be starving but I know you have to be. Let's go eat."

"Hey, I'm not—" Suddenly Steve's stomach gave a growl that would've been loud even if Case didn't have enhanced hearing. "Alright fine…let's go."

They both headed downstairs and into the kitchen where Sam stood buttering some toast at the kitchen counter and Natasha and Ryder were seated at the kitchen table.

"So, the question is, who at SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike," Natasha began as Steve and Case took their seats.

After a moment of silence, Steve said, "Pierce."

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Case added.

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the _Lemurian Star_."

"So was Jasper Sitwell," Natasha pointed out.

"So, the real question is, how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?" Ryder asked.

"The answer is, you don't," Sam chimed in, walking over to the table. He was holding a folder in his hand, with a photo attached to the top, and dropped it on the table in front of Steve.

"What's this?" Steve asked.

"Call it a resume."

Both Steve and Natasha were on their feet, and Natasha picked up the photo, "Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you? You didn't say he was a Pararescue."

Steve took hold of the photo and looked at the two men in the picture, one of them being Sam, "Is this Riley?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs," Natasha added. "What did you use? A stealth chute?"

"No," Sam said, picking up the folder he'd tossed on the table, "These."

Steve opened the folder, skimmed the first page, and looked up at Sam, "I thought you said you were a pilot."

"I never said pilot," Sam reminded him with a chuckle.

Steve looked back at the folder again before he started shaking his head, "I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason."

"Dude, Captain America needs my help," Sam told him. "There's no better reason to get back in."

Steve looked at the others before he conceded, "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?"

"The last one is at Fort Meade…behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall."

Steve looked at Natasha, then to Ryder and Case, all three giving him shrugs. "Shouldn't be a problem."

He tossed the folder back on the table, where the twins could see it was stamped _EX0-7 FALCON._

* * *

"So, you think you'll be coming to any more meetings?" Sam asked.

They were sitting at an outdoor café, Steve, Natasha, and Ryder in position across the street, with Sam and Case waiting for Sitwell.

Case gave a shrug as she sipped her drink, "I dunno, maybe. The stuff I've been dealing with…it's not something I want to discuss in a group setting, you know?"

"Fair…well the door's always open, if you're interested," Sam said.

"Look alive, they're coming," Case told him, sitting straighter.

Senator Stern came out the door first with Sitwell in tow, "Listen, I gotta fly home tonight because I got a constituency problem and I gotta press the flesh."

"Any constituent in particular, Mister Senator?" Sitwell asked.

"Oh no, not really," The senator said. "Twenty-three, kind of hot. Real hot, you know? Wants to be a reporter, I think. I don't know, who listens at that point?"

Sitwell smiled at him, "Doesn't sound like much of a problem to me."

"Really? Because she's killing my back, but this isn't the place to talk about it, this is a nice pin," Stern fumbled with the pin that was tacked to Sitwell's suit.

"Thank you," Sitwell said.

"Come here," Stern said, before pulling Sitwell in for a hug. Then he began to walk down the steps, bent over a bit and said, "See, it's right there…"

"Yeah I just saw that."

"Should I get it checked?"

"I think you should."

"That was disgusting," Case scowled as they watched Stern walk away from Sitwell.

"What was?" Sam asked.

"Be thankful you couldn't hear what they said," Case rolled her eyes. "I had a feeling Stern's a disgusting slime ball…that just proved my theory."

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Sam said, dialing a number on his cell phone.

Sitwell reached into his pocket and pulled out his now ringing phone, talking to the men in suits behind him, "I need a minute. Bring the car around." He answered the phone, "Yes sir?"

"Agent Sitwell, how was lunch?" Sam asked. "I hear the crab cakes here are delicious."

"Who is this?"

"The good-looking guy in the sunglasses, your ten o'clock," Sam said.

Sitwell looked to his right.

"Your _other_ ten o'clock," Sam told him as Case gave a snort. As they watched him Sitwell finally turned to face them, Case and Sam raised their glasses toward him, "There you go."

"What do you want?" Sitwell asked.

"You're gonna go around the corner to your right. There's a gray car two spaces down. You and I are gonna take a ride."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because that tie looks really expensive," Sam told him. "And I'd hate to mess it up."

Sitwell looked down at his chest, where there was a red laser dot sitting on his tie. He looked around trying to see where the shooter was.

* * *

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve said calmly as he advanced toward Sitwell.

This was, of course, after he dragged the man to the roof of a nearby building and hurled him through the door.

Sitwell stumbled backward and put his glasses back on, "Never heard of it!"

"What were you doing on the _Lemurian Star?_ "

"I was throwing up, I get seasick," Sitwell stammered, running backward to keep away from Steve. The man gave a gasp as he ran out of rooftop and stumbled backward.

Steve caught him and dragged him by his lapels, not saying a word.

Sitwell had the nerve to smirk, the fear gone from his voice as he said, "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right," Steve agreed calmly. "It's not," he smoothed the sleeves of Sitwell's jacket, "It's _hers._ "

He stepped to the side and Natasha took a step forward and kicked Sitwell in the chest, knocking him backward off the roof, his scream echoing on his way down.

Ryder and Case stood a few feet behind them, both cocking their heads to the right.

"Ya know…I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching that," Ryder admitted with a small smile.

"Better seal the deal then, Ryder," Case told him.

"Case…"

"Wait, what about that girl from Accounting," Natasha said to Steve. "Laura…?"

"Lillian. Lip piercing, right?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, she's cute."

"Yeah…I'm not ready for that."

Suddenly Sam appeared, wearing his Falcon wings, dropping a still-screaming Sitwell back onto the rooftop. He came to a landing, wearing a set of red-lensed goggles, his metallic wings retracting into the pack he wore on his back.

They all grouped around Sitwell, who threw his hand in the air in surrender and cried out, "Zola's algorithm is a program…for choosing…Insight's targets."

"What targets?" Steve demanded.

"You!" Sitwell answered, "A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa City…Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to Hydra…now or in the future."

"In the future? How could it know?"

Sitwell laughed at the question, then demanded, "How could it _not_?" He got to his feet, "The twenty-first century is a digital book…Zola taught Hydra how to read it." As they all kept staring at him, he looked from one face to the other, "Your bank records. Medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?"

"Oh my god, Pierce is gonna kill me…" Sitwell suddenly seemed to realize what he'd just done.

"What then?" Steve repeated.

Sam gripped Sitwell's left shoulder, tugging at his jacket to pull him back to the conversation.

"Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off the list, a few million at a time."

* * *

Sam's car was cramped, not designed to fit six people at once.

"Hydra doesn't like leaks," Sitwell stated.

"Then why don't you try sticking a cork in it?" Sam snapped from the driver's seat.

Sitwell sat behind the driver's seat, Ryder behind Steve on the passenger side, Case squished in the middle between Ryder and Sitwell, with Natasha sitting on Ryder's lap, stretched across the back.

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours," Natasha pointed out. "We're cutting it a little bit close here."

"I know, we'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly."

"What? Are you crazy?" Sitwell asked, "That is a terrible, terrible idea!"

A loud thud could be heard as something hit the roof of the car. Seconds later a metal arm smashed the window, and yanked Sitwell out into traffic.

The others in the backseat could see a flash of a gun before it disappeared.

"Move!" Ryder yelled to Natasha as he shoved her toward the front seat.

"Sorry Sam," Case added quickly, before she released her claws and shoved them through the roof as the person began shooting, trying to stab through and distract the shooter.

After a few bullets hit the seats, Steve grabbed hold of the gear shift and shifted into park, causing the tires to squeal as the car slid to a stop.

Case, claws still sticking through the roof, shot forward with the momentum, coming to a stop between the seats and knocking her chin against the dash. She cast a glare at Steve, "Ow!"

It also caused the shooter to go flying off the roof of the car, rolling into a kneeling position and using the metal hand to slow his movement, fingers digging into the asphalt and creating trails as he slid to a stop.

Case blinked a few times taking in the full sight of the Winter Soldier, " _Soldat._ "

He got to his feet and stood before the car, not making any movements.

"I know him," Case said calmly. Her eyes widened and everything suddenly clicked into place with an alarming certainty, "Oh God, I know him!"

"Now isn't the time Cassidy!" Steve snapped as Natasha pulled out a pistol taking aim for the Winter Soldier.

"No don't!" Case yelled.

Suddenly the car was rammed from behind, causing Natasha to drop her gun on the floor.

Case gave a grunt as she was thrown harder into the space between the windshield and the dash, crying out in pain as her arm was yanked into a worse angle.

The Winter Soldier took a leap and landed on the roof of the car, grabbing hold with his metal hand, boots shattering the back windshield when he landed.

Sam tried slamming on the brakes as Natasha finally found her gun.

The metal hand suddenly shot through the glass and grabbed hold of the steering wheel, yanking it out easily.

"Shit!" Sam yelled.

Natasha raised her gun and took aim at the roof.

" _I said no!"_ Case roared, and shot backward with her foot, catching Natasha's hand, sending the few shots fired wide as the gun flew out of her hand.

"Are you _insane_?" Natasha screamed as the vehicle behind them rammed them again.

"Case, get the back door!" Steve ordered, and Case retracted her claws and leapt into the backseat. He grabbed hold of Natasha and Sam and yelled out, "Hang on! Case, cut it!"

Ryder and Case mimicked Steve's position from the front seat, Case using her claws to cut the passenger door away as Steve pushed them through the front passenger door.

What remain of Sam's car rolled as it took another hit, Sam tumbling away from Steve and Natasha as the doors skid to a stop.

Ryder had hold of their door and Case as they stopped, and he yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"You want that chronologically or alphabetically?" Case asked, currently smashed into the door. "Can you get off me?"

"As soon as I'm sure you're not going to pull another stunt like that!"

"Grenade!" Case yelled as Steve shoved Natasha away.

The projectile slammed right into Steve's shield, sending him flying off the causeway.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Ryder asked.

"Bucky."

Ryder yanked Case to her feet as the rest of the men opened fire.

"Get to Steve!" Sam yelled from his hiding place.

"C'mon," Ryder grunted, yanking on Case's arm as they raced to the edge where they saw Steve fly off.

"Did you hear me?" Case asked as Ryder took his leap.

"Yeah, I heard you," Ryder said as Case landed right beside him.

"So, then what? You've got nothing to say?"

"You're wrong."

Case froze in her tracks.

Ryder walked over to the group of stopped cars and a bus lying on its side, "Damn, Steve can cause a lot of damage—"

"I'm _wrong_?" Case asked.

Ryder sighed and his shoulders slumped, "Yes, you're wrong."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You said it yourself Case, you don't know what's real anymore!" Ryder shouted, whirling around to face her.

"You were listening to my talk with Steve?"

"Not like you were being quiet about it!" Ryder roared, "And I'm _not_ going along with that! Whatever's going on in that whacked out brain of yours is something above my pay grade, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I play along and let it ruin Bucky's name like that!"

"Ryder, I wouldn't lie about this. I _know—_ "

"You don't _know_ anything! That's what you've been saying this whole goddamn time! Bucky is _gone!_ He fell off a train back in nineteen forty-five and he's not coming back!"

Tears filled Case's eyes, and she dropped to her knees as she heard Ryder start to call Steve's name.

" _He's the Asset—"_

" _No…no, you know that's not true! His name is James Buchannan Barnes…he was a Sergeant in the US Army during World War Two…he's Bucky…he's my Bucky…"_

"Come on, Cassidy!" Ryder was suddenly yanking her to her feet.

"What the hell happened?" Steve demanded as they ran.

Case frowned, now starting to worry because she hadn't seen where Steve had come from. "The Winter Soldier," She told him, voice sounding dazed. "He's—"

"Stop it, Cassidy!" Ryder snapped, cutting her off.

"Ryder, what the hell man?" Steve asked.

"Long story just let's go," Ryder snapped at him.

"Pierce was in Siberia," Case mumbled. She could hear gunfire around her, but everything sounded muffled, like she was in a bubble. "He said he died during World War Two…"

"Course he was," Ryder grumbled.

"Ryder, enough," Steve hissed at him.

"Steve—"

"I see it!"

Case looked up in time to see Steve raced toward the Winter Soldier, leading with the shield. The Soldier brought his metal arm up to meet it, the result being a loud gong-like sound that made the Howletts cry out in pain and grab their ears.

"Steve, be careful, don't hurt—"

Ryder shoved a hand over Case's mouth, "Knock it off, Cassidy!"

Case yanked his hand away, "But it's the truth! He was in Siberia, he's been alive all this time!"

"No, it's what your mind has warped into the truth!"

"Ryder, I'm not crazy!" Case snapped, "I _know_ what I saw!"

"Oh yeah? Prove it then!" Ryder roared.

That was when the fight stopped.

The Soldier's mask was lying on the ground, having been abandoned during the fight.

Steve was standing there, shield limp by his side, as he stared at the Soldier, the look on his face clearly showing he wasn't sure what he was seeing.

"I'd say that makes a pretty compelling argument," Case said, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.

Steve finally was able to speak, "Bucky?"

"Who the hell is Bucky?" He turned and raised his pistol at Steve.

Sam slammed into the Soldier before he could fire a shot, and Case felt wobbly on her feet, "Hey Ryder?"

"Uh…yeah?" Ryder was still shocked to see the face of the Soldier.

"I…I don't feel so good," Case said, and suddenly her vision grew dark. The last thing she heard was Ryder yelling her name as she passed out.

* * *

 **And thus, ends Chapter Thirty-Three. Not sure how I did with this one, but I hope you all enjoyed. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**


	34. Chapter 34

**So, this chapter bounces around a bit – has a little bit of content, a little bit of foreshadowing, and a little bit of filler because it was fun to write.**

 **Hope it was worth the wait, constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **April 2014**

 _ **How am I gonna be an optimist about this?**_

" _Who the hell is Bucky?"_

" _James Barnes died during World War Two…that's all that matters."_

" _My birth certificate may be older than dirt, but it's clearly stated—"_

" _But your name is Case."_

" _You know who he really is."_

" _Ryder tried to protect him! He told me so!"_

" _Then your brother lied to you."_

" _I will never forgive you for this."_

" _Don't worry, sweetheart…you won't remember any of this anyway…"_

Case's eyes shot open as she gasped for air. Almost immediately she closed them again, her head was pounding and even the dim light was painful.

She was laying on her front with her arms bound behind her back, sore in a way that told her she was just thrown onto the floor of the…was it a truck? The metal vibrated under her cheek – aggravating her developing migraine – and it sounded like they were bouncing over gravel. She gave a grunt as she asked, "What happened…?"

"You fainted meatball," Steve said in a low voice.

She carefully rolled over onto her back, and could see pain in Steve's face, although his mouth quirked up at the corner after his comment. Taking quick stock of the situation, she noticed that Ryder and Steve were seated side by side, arms and legs bound in thick restraints on her right, Sam and Natasha in handcuffs on her left.

She also found the two individuals in black combat uniforms with black helmets that concealed their faces, "What did I miss?"

Steve's gaze drifted away from Case, and he murmured, "It was him…he looked right at me, and he didn't even know me."

"How is that possible, it was like, seventy years ago," Sam protested.

"Zola," Steve concluded. "Bucky's whole unit was captured in forty-three, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall."

"And then Hydra found him," Case said quietly, tears filling her eyes as she said, "Erased his memories…turned him into…"

"None of that's your fault," Natasha said in a tired voice.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky," Steve added in a quiet voice.

Case sniffed the air, "I smell blood…"

Ryder's eyes widened, "Natasha!"

Sam looked over at Natasha, and said, "We need to get a doctor here. If we don't put pressure on that wound, she's gonna bleed out here in the truck."

The guard on the left held up a baton, hitting a button that allowed a rush of electrical current to crackle in the air. In the next moment he stabbed said baton into the guard next to him, before aiming a hard kick at his head.

The guard gave a grunt and fell to the floor.

The kicker grabbed something underneath the helmet, and a feminine voice gave a sigh, "Ah…that thing was squeezing my brain!" Once the helmet was removed, Maria Hill shook her hair out of her face nonchalantly. She took one look at Sam and asked, "Who's this guy?"

* * *

"GSW, she's lost at least a pint!" Maria called to a man racing toward them.

After their escape she brought them to a large abandoned building, leading them through a door made of bars.

"Maybe two!" Sam added.

"Let me take her!" The man said.

"She'll want to see him first," Maria told him.

She led them down a hall and pulled aside a curtain made of flexible plastic flaps. Inside the room was a hospital bed, multiple pieces of medical equipment including an IV set up as well as a machine to monitor someone's vitals…and attached to the machine and the IV was Nick Fury.

He was wearing his eyepatch as he raised his head and said, "About damn time."

The man who'd met them started pulling on rubber gloves and ushered Natasha into a chair to patch up her wound.

Fury began speaking again, "Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver and one hell of a headache."

"Don't forget your collapsed lung," the man added as he added pressure to Natasha's shoulder.

"Oh, let's not forget that," Fury deadpanned. "Otherwise, I'm good."

"They cut you open, your heart stopped," Natasha said.

"Tetrodotoxin B slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress, didn't work so great for him but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked.

"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful," Maria said.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead," Fury stated. "Besides…I wasn't sure who to trust."

"There's that word again, _trust_ ," Case rolled her eyes.

"Howlett—"

Case didn't even bother to hear him out, she simply turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

* * *

 **May 2015**

"I never did apologize to you, did I?"

Case had been sitting in the common room of the Avengers Tower as she watched a movie, and she paused it as she looked over to Ryder as he sat on the couch, "For what?"

"Not believing you about Bucky," Ryder admitted, "For treating you like you were batshit crazy for suggesting it."

Case gave a chuckle, "I was angry about that for a while…then I realized had the situations been reversed, I would've reacted the same, maybe worse…"

Ryder frowned at the mood shift, "I didn't mean—"

"No, it's not you," Case admitted. "Look…I did some things there…I'm not exactly proud of, let's just say that. I lost my head…I lost control…" She sighed, leaning back against the couch and resting her elbow on the arm, pinching at her eyes.

"Case…" Ryder began, but paused. He knew there wasn't anything he could say to make her feel better, but he wanted to try, "Anytime…if there's a point you want to talk about any of it…I can't say I'll keep a clear head—"

"Always a good first step is to admit you have a problem," Case told him with a small grin.

Ryder matched it, "But I will listen. I imagine there's gonna be a lot of yelling and arguing…it's just what we do. But…whenever you're ready to face it…if you want to talk to me about it, I'll be here."

Case gave a nod and flipped the remote between her fingers for a few moments. Then she said, "She said she was there."

Ryder frowned, "Context please?"

"Sorry…Mom," Case rubbed at her eyes again. "She said she was there…at the factory. I think she was trying to turn me against you…she said you turned your back on Bucky and disappeared into the crowd when he collapsed."

"Case…I…"

"I know Bucky gave you the order to let him go," Case went on. "Didn't really work like she'd intended…I reminded her that she and the rest of the Hydra jerks left him to rot."

"What'd she say to that?"

"Just rolled her eyes and changed the subject…I count that as a win."

Ryder ran a hand through his hair, and gave a loud sigh, "You know we have to hash this out with Dad eventually, right?"

"I know," Case admitted. She nodded toward the screen, "Wanna finish this movie with me?"

"Sure," Ryder gave a weak smile, taking the out. They'd handle things with Logan in due time, but for now…he looked up at the screen and groaned, "Jeez, Case, this movie _again?"_

"What's wrong with it?"

"You've seen it like, a hundred times…and you haven't watched any of the others!"

"Not true! I've seen three of them."

"And yet you keep going back to this one…"

"It's my _favorite_ ," Case rolled her eyes at him as she hit the play button. "So far at least."

Ryder rolled his eyes as he shook his head, watching the screen as the yellow-green Mitsubishi squealed its tires and began speeding down the interstate backward.

" _Yeah Rome, how do you like them apples?"_

" _Show off!"_

" _That's the Brian O'Conner School of Driving right there, baby!"_

* * *

 **April 2014**

Steve and Ryder stood with their arms folded, leaning against a doorway staring at Case's back. The woman had seated herself on an empty table and stared off into space singing under her breath.

"Not taking this well, is she?"

Neither turned to face Natasha, Ryder spoke up, "Give her time."

"And you two?"

They exchanged looks, Ryder added, "You can say it's not our faults all you want…but at the end of the day, _none_ of us thought to look for Bucky."

"Either someone come in or would you all just back the hell off?" Case snapped from inside the room. "I don't like getting stared at _or_ listening to people whispering behind my back!"

Ryder sighed, "You're up Steve."

"You're her brother," Steve frowned.

"Steve…I can guarantee you I'm the _last_ person she wants to talk to right now," Ryder told him.

As Steve gave a sigh and headed in, Ryder nudged his head to the side to lead Natasha away from the doorway.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked Case as he walked into the room.

Case gave a snort, "No…very far from it." As Steve sat down next to her she sniffled as she said, "We were so gung-ho to rescue him from Zola's…didn't even hesitate even though Philips said winning the war was the rescue plan. And yet when Bucky fell off the train…we just considered him lost."

"I know…" Steve whispered, unable to trust his voice at full volume. He thought back to their previous conversation and said, "You knew it was him, didn't you?"

Case gave a loud sigh then nodded.

"How long?"

Case looked at her fingers, "The night he shot Fury…when I lost him on the rooftop…his scent was everywhere."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Steve demanded.

"I didn't…" Case gave another sigh and her hands clenched into fists. She finally looked up at him, "What if I was wrong, Steve? Even _I_ didn't believe it was him at first…he fell off the train seventy years ago…his scent shouldn't have been in the air."

"But you suspected it was him?"

"Yeah," Case admitted. "Look…if anyone would recognize Bucky's scent in the air it would be me…and with all these flashes and memories suddenly popping up I thought I was going crazy. Not to mention I've been missing him a lot lately, and I figured the nights of lack of sleep finally were catching up to me. For all I knew it was someone that smelled like Bucky and my mind was filling in the blanks."

"And now?"

Case looked back down at her hands, "Natasha was right about the Winter Soldier…he's Hydra's weapon. He's also known as the Fist of Hydra, and they found him lying in the snow, missing half his left arm…" She pinched at her eyes as she added, "But they usually call him the Asset, at least they did while I was there if they spoke about him at all. They keep him in cryo most of the time and erase his memories between missions to keep him in compliance."

Steve frowned, "How do you know that?"

"It's what Pierce wanted to do to me…aside from the fusion," Case explained. "Seeing the Asset brought it all back." She gave a sigh, "I remember…I was listening to my iPod with the speakers Ryder had gotten me as a birthday gift…Bastille's song 'Pompeii' was playing. Kinda fitting when you think about it…" She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, "And now…I know it was the Asset who killed Fury, working with Hydra as their weapon…" She wiped away a tear that had rolled down her cheek, "And the Asset…the Fist of Hydra…is Bucky Barnes."

"Case…"

"He knew me," Case continued. "Slowly started remembering me…even remembered you at one point, ranting about how your punk ass parachuted behind enemy lines."

Steve gave a weak chuckle, "Sounds like Bucky."

"Yeah…" Tears were filling Case's eyes, "Probably the first time I finally believed Bucky was back."

Steve chewed on his lip, and hesitated before he asked, "What happened?"

Case looked down at the floor, tears rolling down her cheeks, "They realized he was starting to remember who he was…I really never got a full explanation, aside from he was remembering too much. Maybe it was because he knew me, they thought if they kept me there the process would start again, I'm not too sure. All I know is I was basically kicked out of their little training program thing…and had the amazing fortune of getting to watch them erase his memories."

Steve jumped to the side as Case's claws shot out.

Case gave a hiss of pain as she retracted them and rubbed at her knuckles, "Fuckin' hell…"

"Case…"

She got to her feet, "Well, let's go."

"Go where?"

"Onto the next mission," Case shrugged, heading for the door. "Clock's ticking…we gotta regroup and figure out what to do about Insight."

"But…what about…?"

"Compartmentalization," Case told him. "Fury uses it for secrets…I use it for emotional stuff. We've got a job to do…Bucky being the Winter Soldier gets put back in the mental box until I have the time to process everything. I can't fall apart now…I'll fall apart later."

Steve frowned as he followed her to the door, "Not sure that's healthy, Cassidy."

"Maybe not," Case admitted as they headed back to the others. "But it's all I've got."

* * *

Fury studied the photo of Alexander Pierce he held in his hand, which was stamped, _PIERCE, A JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF MEETING 9/18/92._

When Steve and Case joined him, he was sitting at a table with Maria and Natasha, with Sam standing off to the side.

Steve and Case didn't take seats, they remained standing in front of the table.

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize," Fury stated. "He said peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." He dropped the picture on the table and leaned forward, "See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha said in a tired voice.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," Fury pointed out. He opened a case, revealing three computer chips, each roughly the size of a credit card.

"What's that?" Sam asked, stepping forward for a better look.

Maria spoke up next, "Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized."

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own," Fury continued.

"One or two won't cut it," Maria added. "We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die."

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is Hydra. We have to get past them, insert these server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left—"

"We're not salvaging anything!" Steve cut in. "We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with this!" Fury protested.

"You gave me this mission! This is how it ends! SHIELD's been compromised, you said so yourself. Hydra grew right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave?" Fury demanded. "I _noticed._ "

"How many paid the price before you did?" Steve asked.

Fury slumped, "Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

"Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too?" Steve asked. "SHIELD, Hydra…it all goes."

"He's right," Maria pointed out in a quiet voice.

Fury looked at Natasha, who simply relaxed back into her seat. He looked at Sam, who responded, "Don't look at me. I do what he does—" He nodded at Steve with his head, "Just slower."

Fury finally turned his gaze to the Howletts, Ryder simply shook his head, but Case stepped forward.

She ejected her claws – which gleamed silver in the light, "You might not have known about Barnes…but _Pierce_ did. And from what I heard? He's also the reason I'm _still_ paying the damn price for you not noticing," She retracted the claws quickly, and said, "SHIELD goes end of story."

Fury's gaze went back to Steve as he finally admitted defeat, leaning back in his chair with a loud sigh, "Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

* * *

 **May 2015**

" _So, what up man, you ready for this?"_

" _Come on, man. Guns, murderers, and crooked cops? I was made for this brah!"_

Case paused the movie again as the elevator doors opened and Natasha stepped into the room holding a folder.

"Welcome back, Romanoff," Tony called from the counter. He was opening a can of soda when he added, "Just thinkin' of ordering some pizza, you in?"

"Nah, not today, I've got something I need Ryder to check on," Natasha said, turning to meet the gaze of the elder Howlett twin.

"Right…sorry Case, rain check," Ryder said, hopping over the back of the couch, walking toward Natasha.

Natasha cocked an eyebrow, "Really Case? This movie again?"

"Hey, I _like_ _Two Fast Two Furious_ ," Case said with a frown.

"Yeah, but you've seen it how many times?" Natasha pointed out. "What keeps you going back to this one?"

"I know!" Tony called out, shoving his hand in the air and bouncing on his feet. "Oh, pick me! Pick me!"

"Don't you have pizza to order?" Case scowled at him.

"Hey, she asked the question, I was just saying I know the answer," Tony shrugged with a smirk.

"You don't know anything, Tony," Case rolled her eyes and turned back toward the TV screen.

"Oh, I don't? So, then you didn't tell me the _only_ reason you started watching was because—"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Case yelled out, cheeks going red as she turned back around and snapped, "I'm hungry, if you're not gonna order the damn pizza then I will!"

"On that happy note," Ryder said, having already reached Natasha, "Let's take this upstairs to my place huh?"

"Let the children play?" Natasha asked with a smirk.

"Absolutely."

"Hey!" Tony and Case snapped at the same time.

Natasha and Ryder got into the elevator, not speaking until the doors hissed behind them.

"You get anything else on Siberia?" Ryder asked as the elevator began moving.

"Not much…the file was pretty complete," Natasha pointed out.

"Can't be…there's parts missing," Ryder frowned. "Nothing on how she was taken, what they did to grab her…not to mention—"

"This is one piece my contact was able to salvage," Natasha cut him off. "It's not a lot…but I checked the timestamps…it's the pieces missing before they sent her back."

"What was there to hide there?" Ryder asked, finally taking the folder.

"Case annihilated at least thirty Hydra soldiers."

Ryder blinked at her, then said, "You're kidding, right?"

"Well…maybe annihilate is a strong word," Natasha admitted. "But she went through them like a one-woman wrecking crew."

Ryder flipped through the file, "What the hell triggered that?"

Natasha just shrugged, "I didn't go into full depth…figured I'd wait for you."

Ryder blew out a breath and closed the file, "I think the connections I'm looking for aren't going to be found in the files."

"Maybe you need to talk to Case—"

"No, Case is only gonna know so much," Ryder told her. "Look…we'll go through this new stuff and go from there."

"I don't think my contact will be eager to go back out."

"I don't think your contact will be much help in this case," Ryder admitted.

"So…what're you thinking?"

"Nothin' good."

* * *

 **And thus, ends Chapter 34. It goes without saying, I do not own any rights to the song 'Pompeii', nor do I own anything remotely related to 2 Fast 2 Furious.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated; I'll see you in Chapter 35.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Welcome to Chapter Thirty-Five. This one is a bit shorter than normal – I don't know how that happened, but I hope you enjoy the latest installment.**

 **Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

* * *

 **April 2014**

"Attention all SHIELD agents, this is Steve Rogers."

Steve stood at the desk for the PA system, decked out in the replica World War Two uniform he'd just "borrowed" from the Smithsonian with his shield strapped to his back.

Sam was in his Falcon wings, and Maria, Case, and Ryder had all changed into their standard issue uniforms. They had infiltrated SHIELD and were ready to do anything they could to stop the Insight launch.

"You've heard a lot about me over the last few days," Steve continued, "Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth…SHIELD is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by Hydra. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are Hydra as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you."

Case frowned as she realized Ryder was looking at her. The frown morphed into a scowl as she backhanded him in the gut, smirking at the grunt that earned her.

"They almost have what they want, absolute control. They shot Nick Fury, and it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it, but I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Steve stood straight when he finished, and Sam walked over and asked, "Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?"

Steve rolled his eyes and pulled the cowl over his head, "Alright…Sam and I will take care of the targeting blades, Case and Ryder I want you both to stay here—"

"No fuckin' way!" Ryder snapped.

"Steve, you're gonna need us—"

"Listen to me!" Steve barked, cutting off both of their arguments. "If STRIKE or…anything Hydra tries to come through that door, I need you to make sure Maria stays safe. Do you both understand?"

The twins exchanged looks, both giving sighs of defeat and nodding in agreement.

"Let's go," Steve said to Sam, and they were instantly out the doors.

Case and Ryder took their positions at the door, both armed with guns.

Case cocked her pistol, "Should I even bother anymore? I have knives that come out of my knuckles…"

"You really want to get that up close and personal to someone?" Ryder asked, cocking his pistol as well. He hesitated for a few moments, then asked, "So…how are you doing…with all of this?"

"Ask me after we live through this," Case told him. She glanced back at Maria who was adjusting views on the screens then back to Ryder, "You really think _he's_ going to come through this door?"

"God no," Ryder admitted. "Steve's his target…they'll probably send him after them."

"That's what I thought."

"They're initiating launch," Maria said from her position at the monitors.

Case and Ryder turned to face her instead, guns still out and ready, and through the security feeds on the monitors they could see all three helicarriers began to lift into the air.

" _Hey Cap,"_ Sam's voice came through the comm units, _"How do we know the good guys from the bad guys?"_

" _If they're shooting at you, they're bad,"_ Steve answered simply.

They could track Sam and Steve racing across the landing pad for the SHIELD jets, with Steve leaping onto the one of the helicarriers while Sam took off into the air.

Almost immediately both came under heavy gunfire.

" _Hey Cap! I found those bad guys you were talkin' about!"_ Sam called out.

" _You okay?"_ Steve asked.

" _I'm not dead yet!"_

"Speaking of though," Ryder spoke again, "What are we gonna do about the Lean Mean Russian Machine?"

"Which one?" Case asked him, "Mine or yours?"

"Yours," Ryder answered with a roll of his eyes.

"I dunno," Case admitted. "Steve's not gonna let him go now he knows he's alive."

"True…"

"Falcon, status?" Maria asked.

" _Engaging,"_ Sam said into the comm. _"Alright Cap, I'm in…oh shit!"_

"Eight minutes Cap," Maria said.

" _Working on it,"_ Steve responded. It was a few agonizing minutes before he announced, _"Alpha lock."_

The helicarrier on the screen lit up green with a confirming beep as Maria asked, "Falcon, where are you now?"

" _I had to take a detour!"_ They could hear a few explosions and Sam cheering before he announced, _"I'm in…Bravo lock!"_

The second carrier lit up green on the screen.

"Two down, one to go," Maria announced. "Charlie carrier's forty-five degrees off the port bow."

"We got a bogey," Ryder announced, seeing the two men dressed in black entering on the security feed.

Case stood straight and took aim at the door, and as soon as the door opened two gunshots rang out and the invaders dropped to the ground.

"Six minutes," Maria said, not bothering to look back.

" _Hey Sam, gonna need a ride!"_ Steve called out.

" _Roger, let me know when you're ready!"_

A loud explosion could be heard, and Steve added, _"I just did!"_

"For fuck's sake Rogers can't do anything the easy way, can you?" Ryder grumbled as he pinched at the bridge of his nose.

"When have you ever known him to do that?" Case asked him.

"Fair."

In moments they could hear Sam give a loud groan into the comm, and then say, _"You know, you're a lot heavier than you look."_

" _I had a big breakfast."_ Suddenly Steve gave a grunt into the comm.

" _Steve!"_ Sam yelled out.

"Guess who," Ryder said as they heard gunfire and Sam yelling incoherently into the comm.

" _Cap! Cap, come in, are you okay?"_ Sam asked.

" _Yeah I'm here! I'm still on the helicarrier! Where are you?"_

" _I'm grounded…the suit's down. Sorry Cap."_

" _Don't worry, I got it."_

Alarms began to blare thorough the building, and an automated female voice announced, _"Emergency evacuation alert. All personnel proceed to designated safety zones."_

The security feed of the stairwell showed Rumlow heading up the stairs.

"Falcon?" Maria asked.

" _Yeah?"_

"Rumlow's headed for the Council."

" _I'm on it."_

A few moments later, Steve's voice came through the comm, _"People are gonna die, Buck."_

Ryder and Case exchanged concerned looks.

" _I can't let that happen,"_ there were a few beats of silence, and they could hear desperation in Steve's voice as he said, _"Please don't make me do this."_

They could hear various grunts indicating a fight, a few clangs of the shield and Steve snapping, _"Drop it, drop it!"_

Ryder gave a snort, "That brings back memories…"

Case flinched when she heard Bucky yell in pain.

A blurred memory flashed before her eyes of gleaming claws covered in blood…a _lot_ of blood, splattering over the walls, over everything around her… _protect him, keep him safe, can't lose him again…_

"Case—"

A hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. Case gave a yell of her own and stabbed forward with her right hand. When she heard a familiar grunt, she opened her eyes and gave a gasp of fright as she saw her claws were embedded in Ryder's gut.

Ryder blinked down at the claws, and with his free hand wiped away a trickle of blood from his mouth.

Case blinked up at him, "Ryder…I…"

A voice floated across her mind, _"This Bucky is a sore spot for you. That's good, we can use that."_

Ryder moved his hand away from her shoulder and grasped her right wrist instead. He took a few steps back, giving a hiss of pain as Case retracted the claws.

Case vaguely heard Sam telling Rumlow to shut up through the comm, as Maria announced, "One minute!"

Ryder was still holding onto her wrist, "Are you back with me?"

Case nodded, "Ryder, I—"

"I'm going to pretend this didn't happen," Ryder said firmly. "I want you to do the same."

"But I—"

"I know…but this never happened," Ryder told her.

Case gave a weak nod, "Alright…"

They could hear grunts and gunshots through the comm.

"Thirty seconds Cap!"

" _Stand by…"_ he sounded weak, and he barely got out, _"Charlie—"_

Another gunshot brought silence to the line.

They could see the targets lighting up across the screen for the Insight algorithm, all glowing red as they locked into place.

The screen suddenly flickered, and the red disappeared.

" _Charlie lock…"_ Steve said into the comm.

"Okay Cap get out of there," Maria told him.

" _Fire now…"_

"But Steve!"

" _Do it! Do it now!"_

Maria looked to Case and Ryder, who both swallowed roughly but gave her a nod. Maria nodded back and slid her fingers across the screen, tapping the button to fire on the Insight carriers.

Everything blurred into the background as the Insight carriers began to explode and crumble to the ground, destroying everything in their path.

" _Please tell me you got that chopper in the air!"_ Sam's voice yelled into the comm.

" _Sam, where are you?"_ Natasha yelled.

" _Forty first floor! Northwest corner!"_

" _We're on it! Stay where you are!"_

" _NOT AN OPTION!"_ the comm was then filled with the sound of Sam grunting, before he yelled, _"Forty First floor! Forty first!"_

" _It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!"_ Fury shot back.

" _Hill! Where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?"_

* * *

 **And thus, ends Chapter Thirty-Five.**

 **Oh, and just one minor note here…**

 **(Said like Woody in the first "Toy Story" movie)**

 **Chapter Thirty-Six will be the last chapter of "Flashbulb Memories"**

… **until then, enjoy!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Here it is, the final chapter to "Flashbulb Memories" – never thought when I started toying around with this idea I'd ever really flush it out and post it for people to read, so I'm glad you all have enjoyed the story.**

 **Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter.**

* * *

 **April 2014**

Ryder stood outside of Steve's hospital room, nodding to the patrolling guard that paced the hallway. When he noticed his twin walking up, he smiled and said, "I'm heading to the cafeteria…want anything?"

Case shook her head, "Nah…I'm good."

"When was the last time you ate something?"

"I'm not hungry, Ryder."

"Case—"

"A sandwich then," Case rolled her eyes, too tired to argue with him.

Ryder gave a triumphant grin and turned on his heel, heading toward the exit.

Case gave a sigh and entered the room, listening to the music coming from the device on the table and giving a small smile, " _'Trouble Man'_."

Sam looked up at her, "Yeah…I felt it was appropriate."

She sat in the chair next to him, looking Steve over. The area near his right eye was split open and scabbed over, just a huge mass of purple skin. His bottom lip was split on the right, the left stitched closed and split like someone had tried to widen his mouth. "God…the Soldier did a number on him, didn't he?"

Sam frowned at her, "The Soldier?"

Case sighed, "If Bucky knew…if he remembered…I don't think he would've done it."

"But he did," Sam pointed out. "He beat him, shot—"

"Yes, Sam, I'm well aware, I heard the same things you did," Case said in an annoyed tone. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists.

All three of them had heard the long laundry list of the injuries Steve had taken, including the multiple gunshot wounds and massive amounts of bruising.

"Case…"

"They erased his memories, Sam…that much I _do_ remember," Case continued, cutting him off. "They took the man Bucky was and obliterated it. And anytime he started remembering…I can only assume…" She closed her eyes, and the image of Bucky in the Chair flashed clearly behind her eyelids. His screams echoed in her ears, "They didn't want him to remember anything."

"Did they…do that to you?"

"No…" Case hissed. "I just had to watch as they did it to him." She ran a hand through her hair, "Seeing him…unlocked what was done to me. And the more I remember…the more I want to forget again."

They grew quiet for a few moments, listening to the beeping of monitors and the song playing from the speakers.

"Look…I get that you want to forget," Sam finally began. "But…when you're ready…if you need to talk about anything…just let me know."

Case folded her arms and stretched her legs out in front of her, "You and everyone else…get in line."

"Fair point," Sam admitted. "We don't necessarily have to talk about all that. Just if you need to talk about _anything_ …and you don't have to go to group therapy to do it."

That earned him a small smile, "Thanks Sam."

The room grew quiet again, the only sounds being the continuous beeping of the monitors and the sound of the song playing.

Until a raspy voice said, "On your left."

* * *

 **June 2015**

" _Don't worry, sweetheart…you won't remember any of this anyway…"_

Ryder had just left the elevator with Sam, and the doors hissed shut behind them as they froze in place.

Case was sitting on the sofa, eyes glued to the laptop. Her face was white, tears were rolling silently down her cheeks, and she had the fingers of her left hand pressed over her mouth.

Ryder got closer, "Case…?"

Case closed the laptop panel, " _'The Confession of Cassidy Howlett'_ …aptly titled."

"Case, I—"

"I wouldn't go into details, so you went behind my back to get them," Case said in a low voice. "Not that far of a leap, Ryder."

"I know, but—"

"So now you know," Case continued. "What really happened."

"To be honest…I really just know Mom's version," Ryder said, walking up next to the couch but not taking a seat. "I don't know how much I trust her to give me everything…and there's pieces missing, that much I can tell."

Case wiped at her cheeks, "I almost bought into it…that she actually cared. I thought…I don't know, maybe underneath it all…"

"Maybe I should—" Sam began, turning toward the elevator.

"Stay!" Both Howlett's barked at him.

Sam frowned and walked over the sofa, taking the seat next to Case, not saying a word.

Case chewed on her lip for a few moments, then said, "She threw me away. I was making their Asset remember the man he used to be. And I wanted to take him with me…so she erased my memories and dropped me in a warehouse and told you where to find me."

Ryder sighed as she got to her feet, "Case—"

"What? What can you possibly say to that?" Case cried out, as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Our _Mother!_ I was _stabbed_ …my spine was cut! I was _paralyzed_ from the neck down! Beaten within an inch of my life…and what does she care about?"

Ryder flinched, "Case…please…don't—"

" _All_ she wanted was to make sure their Asset was erased and put back in storage like a fuckin' collectible," Case snapped. "Didn't care about me in the slightest—"

" _I KNOW!"_

Both Sam and Case nearly jumped out of her skin at Ryder's shout, and when they both looked at him, they saw there were tears streaming down his face.

"I know. I know all of it!" Ryder hissed. He shoved his fingers through his hair, "Case…I think Mom _does_ care…but she cares more about keeping us away from Hydra than anything else…and she thinks that because she's in that position that makes her a great mother." He got to his feet and started pacing, "Do you know what I feel when I see this shit?"

"I…" Case hesitated but couldn't seem to find an answer.

Ryder shook his head, "You're the only constant in my life, Case. Yeah…you drive me crazy and vice versa and there's days where we hate each other's guts…but I know that if I needed you, you'd be there. You've _always_ been there when I needed you…"

"I'm not going anywhere," Case said with a frown.

"But you almost did! Don't you get that?" Ryder demanded. "It's all there…clinically you…" He didn't want to say it…he _couldn't._

Sam looked at her, "It wasn't just an almost? You actually…?"

"I don't know, Sam," Case admitted. "They told me they thought he was trying to revive a vegetable."

"He?"

"Bucky…he's the only reason I got out of there alive," Case said, folding her arms as she got to her feet. "My mother was too worried about protecting her cover, I don't think she would've done anything to help after that."

"God…I don't know what I would've done if you…" Ryder scrubbed a hand over his face. "I mean…what would have happened if you didn't come back? You would've just been… _gone_ …"

"But I'm not," Case told him firmly. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon…you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Ryder was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath, "Yeah…I know."

"Good…now, come with me," Case said, heading toward the hallway. "There's something we need to correct before we go into any further details…"

Sam and Ryder exchanged looks before following her.

Case walked into Ryder's guest room/office space and turned on the light. "I'd say you did a pretty decent job on this…timeline fits for the most part…"

The wall was littered with various documents and security stills, creating a timeline of events when Case was taken and held by Hydra, finishing off with a security still from when she was in the SHIELD infirmary.

"Not sure how you got that one," Case said of the one on the end. "Not gonna ask either. But there's one you got out of order…"

"Which one?" Ryder asked. "I mean…I heard Mom was trying to cover everything, and I _know_ there was shit she didn't want to share—"

"This one," Case said, tapping her index finger under a security still of Bucky. "You have this one where I started training with them…this one's out of place."

"What? You mean you started training before then?"

"No, the training part is right," Case explained. "It was the first sight of Bucky…that part's not right."

"When did you first see him then?" Sam asked.

Case's eyebrows rose, "I told you last year…don't you remember?"

Sam racked his brain trying to remember, "We went over a lot of shit last year Case…you'll have to remind me."

"The metal-armed whack-a-doodle who left my closet door open?" Case asked. "It's why I called you in the first place…I remembered the night I was taken…"

* * *

 **April 2014**

Case entered her apartment and locked the door behind her – regular lock, deadbolt…she even considered pulling her dining room table in front of it to keep it closed.

Bucky was _alive_ …Bucky had been alive all this time and they hadn't known…but _she_ did. Seeing him again brought back a lot of flashes…he had been in Siberia. They erased his memories…and her mother was the one that gave the order.

Her mother…her own _mother_ was one of _them_. The mother that had hidden her and Ryder in a closet and disappeared without a trace in nineteen twenty-three. She was a member of Hydra… _she_ had them erase everything when Bucky started remembering her.

And yet…after all that had come back, there was something missing…something that was staring her right in the face…Case didn't have everything from that time, she _knew_ she didn't. Something else was still locked away…

With a sigh she walked deeper into her apartment and headed for her bedroom, having new certainty that the rest would come back with time. She closed and locked the door behind her, and walked over to her bed, plopping down on the comforter.

After a few moments she sat back up and reached for her nightstand, opening the drawer. Nestled inside was a frame, with a drawing Steve had given her for her ninety-fifth birthday. She'd put it in there that same night before she'd been taken.

She was about to put it on her nightstand, but paused, "Why did I put it in there to begin with?"

She could remember holding the frame, wanting to cry at the sight but she _loved_ the drawing, even though the idea was painful, and something she and Bucky had never gotten to, something Bucky had never gotten to see.

 _Wait…_ Case gazed at the reflections in the glass, which were showing off the room behind her. _I put it in there because…_

With the frame in hand, Case walked out to the living room area. She placed the drawing on the counter and sat down on the stool. She repositioned it and got her answer.

The closet had been open…not wide open, but just enough for Case to know that someone was in the apartment with her…and had been hiding in the closet.

Slowly she began to remember…she'd taken notice of the door, smelled the familiar scent in the air. She'd walked to the bedroom to put the frame in the nightstand drawer before all hell broke loose.

Carefully she walked toward the closet door, sniffing the air as she neared it.

 _Nope, nothing,_ she thought as she slowly opened the door.

Nothing but a few jackets and a couple of rolls of wrapping paper.

"Get it together, Howlett," Case shook her head.

A floorboard creaked, and suddenly Case was in attack position in the middle of the living room, all six claws extended and gleaming in the light.

She shifted her foot, and recreated the creak, and gave a sigh, retracting her claws. "Okay…this is getting ridiculous." She made a mental note to text Sam about hanging out. Clearly, she needed to talk to _someone_ about all this…

She walked back to her bedroom and grabbed her iPod and the speakers. Going back out to the living room she set up the devices on her kitchen counter and put the songs on shuffle. The lack of silence relaxed her, and she headed to her couch and stretched out across it.

The familiar vocal opening to the song "Pompeii" filled the air.

 _ **I was left to my own devices**_

 _ **Many days, fall away, with nothing to show**_

Case felt herself relax into the cushions, just feeling drained after the last couple of days.

 _ **And the walls kept tumbling down**_

 _ **In the City that we love**_

 _ **Grey clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above.**_

Suddenly she was standing before her closet, instead of the late afternoon sun outside her window there was darkness, with moonlight streaming in.

 _ **But if you close your eyes**_

 _ **Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?**_

 _ **And if you close your eyes**_

 _ **Does it almost feel like you've been here before?**_

Within seconds a floorboard creaked behind her and she was dodging out of the way of a metal fist.

 _ **How am I gonna be an optimist about this?**_

" _Bucky?"_

 _ **How am I gonna be an optimist about this?**_

" _Who the hell is Bucky?"_

 _ **If you close your eyes**_

 _ **Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?**_

Case's eyes shot open as she rolled off the couch. She was gasping for air as she hit the floor, crying out and sobbing, vaguely aware she as repeating the phrase, "Not a nightmare, not a nightmare…"

Once she was able to breathe properly, she slowly got to her feet. She grabbed her iPod and cut off all music. She ran into her coat closet and blocked the door behind her.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and sent Sam a text to meet her the next morning, gave him the directions to a diner nearby her apartment, before throwing the device across the small space, and did something she hadn't done since she was seven years old…

She curled up in the corner and cried.

* * *

 **And just to recap I do not own any rights to the song "Pompeii" – never have, never will.**

 **We have now come full circle, back to where the story began, and Case met Sam in the diner to begin this journey.**

 **But for those who want more to the story, fear not!**

 **This is but part one of the Ballad of Case Howlett and Bucky Barnes…stay tuned for part two, which is titled: "I'd Rather Laugh with the Sinners than Cry with the Saints"**

 **COMING SOON**


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